Quick Reads

Jaycee

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Jaycee: Short story by Fredric Brown Frederic Brown is well known for the irreverence of some of his stories, but this one takes the cake. Scientists have discovered a way for women to asexually reproduce, allowing those who are single or have a sterile husband to have a family without the need for a sperm donation. Fifty million such children now exist, all of whom are males. The oldest has just reached puberty, and has started to exhibit behavior similar to the only previous virgin birth, which took place over 2,000 years ago. Themes include scientific hubris, the dangers of technology, unexpected consequences.

The Two Brothers and the Gold

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The Two Brothers and the Gold: Short story by Leo Tolstoy In this story by Leo Tolstoy, two devout brothers who have dedicated their lives to helping the needy react very differently to finding a heap of gold. One leaps aside and runs away; the other takes it into town and puts it towards building and provisioning an asylum for widows and orphans, a hospital for the sick, and a hospice for the poor and pilgrims. Returning home penniless after basking in the praise of the townspeople, he is castigated by an Angel for allowing himself to be corrupted by the devil. Themes include religion, selflessness, brotherly love, temptation, hubris.

The End of the World

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The End of the World: Short story by Dino Buzzati This story by Dino Buzzati is a satire of false piety. The fist of God appears in the sky, signaling the end of the world. Two friars, happy to have been proven right, laugh and make fun of the panicking crowds. The rich buy up the services of most available confessors, while charlatans pretending to be priests do house-calls to hear confessions from those who can afford it. A young priest cornered by a crowd mechanically takes confession after confession, before damning them all to hell for cheating him of his own salvation. Themes include piety, Armageddon, fear, greed, hypocrisy.

The Toxic Donut

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The Toxic Donut: Short story by Terry Bisson In this story by Terry Bisson, a woman has been nominated from entries all over the world to represent humanity in an annual TV extravaganza. The focus of the show, set in the future and officiated over by world leaders, is Environmental Awareness. One of its features is a “Wonders of Science” film segment celebrating technology that can concentrate a whole year’s toxic wastes and pollutants into a single donut. In the finale, the donut for the previous year is presented to the world. The unwitting woman’s role is to eat it. Themes include environmentalism, science and technology, human sacrifice.

You Were Perfectly Fine

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You Were Perfectly Fine: Short story by Dorothy Parker This entertaining “morning after” story by Dorothy Parker describes an embarrassed young man’s reactions as he tries to piece together what happened the night before. The beauty of the story is that, depending on how the reader interprets the dialogue, it can be taken several ways. One is that the woman is exaggerating or even making up events to teach the man a lesson. Another is that the events are true but she is playing them down because she wants to believe something he said during the cab ride home. Themes include alcohol abuse, memory, relationships, guilt, happiness and regret.

Unnecessary Things

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Unnecessary Things: Short story by Tatyana Tolstaya The message of this story by Tatyana Tolstaya is the need to let go of things that are no longer important to your life. The protagonist, who is moving alone into a new apartment, finds the remains of her childhood teddy bear while rummaging through a cupboard in her parents’ house. The find brings back long-suppressed memories and results in a feeling of overwhelming nostalgia. Sleeping next to the bear that night, she decides it has to go. Themes include hoarding, the relationship between objects, memories and feelings, sentimentality, moving on.

What I Have Been Doing Lately

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What I Have Been Doing Lately: Short story by Jamaica Kincaid This circular narrative by Jamaica Kincaid takes the form of a dream in which the narrator, woken by her doorbell and finding no one there, embarks upon a surreal journey. An interesting aspect of the story is that although delivered in the first person, the narrator’s identity is neither given nor defined. When asked the titular question by an unknown woman, she gives a slightly different version of the journey so far, suggesting either personal growth (greater awareness), or that she has experienced multiple iterations of the journey. Themes include reality vs. fantasy, loss and longing, motherhood, personal growth, identity.

The Kitemaker

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The Kitemaker: Short story by Ruskin Bond The major themes of this Ruskin Bond story are change and the isolation/loneliness of the aged. An old man in a once rural Indian village lays back and reflects on his life as a professional kitemaker and how much the world has changed. The village’s traditional social structure, sport of adult kite flying, open spaces, and once close community spirit are no more. His only joy in life is spending time with and making kites for his grandson. A torn kite carried by the wind far above the city symbolizes release of his soul. Other themes: tradition, nostalgia, pride, mortality.