The major themes in this James Joyce masterpiece are failure to change (paralysis) and, of course, death and “the dead”. Other themes include Irish Nationalism, cultural identity, tradition, privilege, pride, and self-discovery. Gabriel, a condescending Irish intellectual, has rejected his country’s entrenched “backward” culture and embraced cosmopolitan British ways. His wife’s reaction to a little-known Irish folk-song sung by her long-dead first love brings about an epiphany. Gabriel suddenly realizes the need to take more positive steps in his own life, and how the lives of the dead can have a major influence on the living. More…
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The Oval Portrait
This Edgar Allan Poe story demonstrates the sinister side of how beauty can live on through art. An injured traveler takes shelter in an empty mountain chateau. There are paintings on and around the walls of his room. On his pillow is a book describing them. His eyes fall on the portrait of a beautiful woman that seems a little too lifelike. Disturbed, he finds its entry in the book. The woman’s story suggests that although art can preserve beauty, artistic obsession can destroy it in the making. Themes include art and artistry, rare beauty, love, obedience, obsession and death. More…
Paste
The main theme of this story from Henry James is that things aren’t always as they appear. The stepson of a deceased vicar’s wife offers her gaudy costume jewellery to his young cousin. Later, the cousin learns that one piece, a pearl necklace, may be genuine. This is one of those rare stories where a protagonist who chooses to do the right thing is the only loser. Mystery surrounds how the dead woman came by such a necklace, and its fate after she returns it. Other themes: temptation, morality, vanity, greed, betrayal. More…
Leiningen Versus the Ants
In today’s story by Carl Stephenson, four hundred men on a Brazilian plantation fight off an army of killer ants. Its major theme is the courage and ingenuity of (European) man against the power of nature. Other themes include the “civilizing” benefits of colonialism, racism (Leiningen is portrayed as a heroic leader, the Indian “peons” primitive and fearful) and misogyny (Critical situations first become crises when oxen or women get excited.) Ironically, despite Leiningen’s boasts about his superior intelligence and faultless preparations (which fail), it is a last-minute idea, which he had previously overlooked, that saves the day. More…
Up in Michigan / My Old Man
Today we have two short stories from Ernest Hemingway’s first book, Three Stories and Ten Poems, published in Paris in 1923. Although they don’t exhibit the tight, straightforward writing style for which Hemingway later became famous, they are indicative of the writing genius to come. The first, Up in Michigan, issues a grim warning to women about date rape. The subject matter was so contentious that it wasn’t considered publishable in the United States until 1938. The second story, My Old Man, is a coming of age story dealing with a boy’s relationship with his jockey father. More…