The Secret Source

The Secret Source: Short story by Ben OkriThe world described in this Ben Okri story is not a pleasant place. Cities are decaying, rivers and oceans are so polluted they contain no life, ground water is undrinkable, and households are limited to just fifteen minutes of tap water a day. When a couple discover this is synthetic and contains chemicals designed to reduce dissent among the population, they embark on a quest to find a source of pure water. The ambiguous denouement encourages readers to ponder what life would be like in a world without freshwater. Themes include environmental degradation, urban decay, government manipulation and control.

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The Sisters

The Sisters: Short story by James JoyceSeveral themes in this story by James Joyce (paralysis, corruption and abuse of authority) are said to represent major issues facing both Ireland and its Catholic Church in the early 1900s. The story, which takes place shortly after the death of a Catholic priest, is narrated by a boy who was friends with and mentored by the cleric. He is angered by insinuations the priest was involved in a scandal but also feels “freed”, presumably because he can resume a normal boyhood. Other themes include religion, secular vs. religious education, fall from grace, mental illness, loneliness, death, “freedom”.

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The Switchman

The Switchman: Short story by Juan José ArreolaIn this story by Juan José Arreola, a man waiting for a train in Mexico is interrupted by a retired switchman who tells him that has little chance of getting to his destination. After outlining a long list of problems with the railway system and the hazards of using it, he “dissolves” at the sound of an approaching train whistle. The story has been variously labeled a satire of the Mexican railway system/government, and an existential horror story about the inability to exercise free will in a world governed by chance. Themes include absurdity, existentialism, corruption, determination, hope.

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MS. Found in a Bottle

MS. Found in a Bottle: Short story by Edgar Allan PoeThis story by Edgar Allan Poe is an MS. (manuscript) found in a bottle tossed into the ocean by a dying man. After outlining his once rational, skeptical outlook on life, he relates the story of how, after a series of misadventures at sea, he found himself on a huge ghost galleon speeding under full sail towards the South pole. He walks around the ship unseen by its crew of infirm old men, who become increasingly excited as they approach their doom. Themes include the power of nature, fear, exploration, rational thinking vs. the supernatural, compulsion to document the unexplainable.

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The Homecoming Stranger

The Homecoming Stranger: Short story by Bei DaoIn this story by Bei Dao, a young woman in 1970s China has difficulty dealing with her father’s homecoming after being falsely convicted of literary crimes and spending twenty years in prison. She feels resentment, not only over what she sees as his ‘desertion’, but also over her mother standing by when she was imprisoned and tortured at age twelve. Fortunately, on coming to understand her father’s love and the courage he had showed, she realizes her selfishness and they reconcile. Themes include the unfairness and brutality of the Mao regime, resentment, hypocrisy, rejection, fatherly love, courage, selfishness, forgiveness, reconciliation.

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Victory

Victory: Short story by Vasily AksyonovThe enigmatic nature of this Vasily Aksyonov story about a casual chess game between a Russian grandmaster and a chance acquaintance stems from its interwoven motifs. Allegorically, the game represents a battle between the intelligentsia (the well-travelled, Dior-wearing grandmaster) and the common people (the brutish stranger). Additionally, as the game progresses the narration is interlaced with temporal shifts where the grandmaster experiences grim visions of desolation, hiding, escape and death. As he is about to be executed in the last vision, his opponent shouts “checkmate”. Themes include Western influence on Russian culture, class struggle, memories, insecurity, fear, ‘victory’ in survival.

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Gren’s Ghost

Gren's Ghost: Short story by Marie-Louise FitzpatrickIn this story by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, a usually timid 6th grader who is ridiculed at school because of his unusual name has an experience that boosts his pride and self-confidence. At midnight, he sneaks out of his house to help a classmate with a task he says needs two to pull off. Despite concerns about being set up for some kind of hazing, the boy goes to the meeting-place at the Seven Castles ruins and learns that their objective is to capture a photograph of the famous Priory Ghost. Themes include identity, fear, courage, pride, self-confidence, “friendship”, manipulation.

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Only Goodness

Only Goodness: Short story by Jhumpa LahiriIn this Jhumpa Lahiri story a Bengali-American woman successfully navigates growing up in a strict environment where her parents compensate for their lack of love for one another by high expectations of their children. This is not true of her more academically gifted younger brother, whose alcohol abuse shames her parents in the eyes of the local Bengali diaspora. She feels partly responsible for his drinking and subsequent fall, and makes a foolish decision that destroys her husband’s trust and almost costs the life of their child. Themes include cultural identity, sibling relationships, parental expectations, alcoholism, rebellion, alienation, guilt, trust.

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