The Weeping Fig

The Weeping Fig: Short story by Judith WrightThis story by Judith Wright is a tribute to the pioneering families who tamed the harsh Australian outback. A man comes into possession of his great-grandfather’s diary. In search of his roots, he visits the cattle station on which his ancestors had settled. He finds what he came for in a weeping fig tree planted by his great-grandmother… a mass of green and the tallest tree for miles. The tree stands as a testament to his forefathers’ courage and determination, and in reconciliation for their failure. Themes include man vs. nature, the pioneering spirit, hope, suffering and defeat, reconciliation, identity/connection.

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The Night the Bed Fell / Ghost Got In

The Night the Bed Fell / Ghost Got In: Short stories by James ThurberThese two light-hearted comedies from James Thurber involve the same house, the same family (notionally Thurber’s), the same attic bed, and the same message common in slapstick humor: Things aren’t always as they initially seem. In the first story, confusion over the location of a collapsing bed results in chaos in the house. In the second, ghostly sounds in the night extend the pandemonium to involve a neighbor and the police. Both stories include themes of memories, eccentricity, paranoia, misunderstanding and mayhem. The Night the Ghost Got In includes additional themes of the supernatural and responding to the unknown.

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Short story by James ThurberA major theme of this story by James Thurber is escapism (in this case taking charge of one’s life through fantasy). Walter Mitty, a meek, blundering man who leads a mundane suburban life is perhaps the world’s best-known daydreamer. Constantly humiliated by his dominating, nagging wife and others he encounters in the community, his way of compensating is to escape into exciting, imaginary worlds. There, he acts out fantasies in which he is the opposite of his real self, performing wondrous feats and bravely facing all kinds of danger. Other themes: identity, self-respect, masculinity, gender roles.

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The Difference

The Difference: Short story by Ellen GlasgowA more apt title for this story by Ellen Glasgow would be The Differences. It explores differences in attitudes to love, marriage and infidelity between men and women, and between women born in the Victorian era and those born in the early 1900s. A middle-aged woman’s calm existence is shattered when she receives a letter from the much younger mistress of her husband of twenty years. She meets the woman, confronts her husband, and initiates a discussion about who loves whom and what is to be done about it. Themes include gender roles, love and adultery, the generation gap, sacrifice.

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The Answer is No

The Answer is No: Short story by Naguib MahfouzThis story explores the dilemma of a teacher who, having been raped by a trusted tutor at fourteen years of age, must face the attacker again as her school’s new headmaster. She refuses to cower before the man, and manages to maintain her dignity and self-respect through two encounters. Naguib Mahfouz is one of the few Islamic writers with the reputation to be able to not only successfully take on such a confronting issue, but also present it from an openly feminist perspective. Themes: abuse of trust, sexual assault, strength of character, courage, empowerment.

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A Christmas Memory

A Christmas Memory: Short story by Truman CapoteThis sentimental Christmas story from Truman Capote takes readers back to a time when children created their own fun and could safely explore the outdoors alone. The protagonist, a seven-year-old-boy, and his aged but child-like female cousin are best friends; two outsiders who help each other deal with being alone in the world. It is telling that their Christmas fruitcakes are not for neighbors and those who have power/know best (their pious carers), but strangers who either “strike their fancy” or have shown kindness towards them over the years. Themes: nostalgia, Christmas, friendship, innocence, isolation, poverty, coming of age.

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Shadows

Shadows: Short story by Richard PeckThis Richard Peck story leaves readers with a question. A lonely child grows up in an old Louisiana plantation-house that she believes to be haunted. On turning five, she befriends the shabbily dressed spirit of a boy (Seth) that not only can talk, but also wants to learn reading, writing and basic arithmetic. As school and real friends take up more of the girl’s time, Seth stops visiting. He makes one final appearance as she prepares to leave for college, leaving her puzzled and very confused. Themes: loneliness, friendship, coming of age, alienation, literacy, the supernatural.

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Lamb to the Slaughter

Lamb to the Slaughter: Short story by Roald DahlThe title of this story by Roald Dahl may have a clever double meaning. On the one hand, we have a woman who uses a lamb, or rather a frozen leg of lamb, to kill her husband. On the other, it may relate to the English idiom “Like a lamb to the Slaughter”. This would lead to the question: Which of the characters (the husband, the wife or both) could be described as someone going calmly about their business, not knowing that something very unpleasant is about to happen to them? Themes include betrayal, identity/gender stereotyping, injustice and revenge.

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