The End of Something / Three-Day Blow

Post category:Quick Reads Short Stories

The End of Something / Three Day Blow: Short stories by Ernest Hemingway These two Ernest Hemingway stories should ideally be read together as they are linked by storyline (the end of a relationship) and major themes (change, friendship and moving on). The lumber town of Hortons Bay has died and its people have left because all the old-growth trees have been cut down. Like the townspeople, Nick Adams is planning a new beginning. He has decided to break up with girlfriend Marjorie, telling her “it isn’t fun anymore”. We learn the reason in the second story, which introduces additional themes of class and/or racial prejudice, selfishness, mateship and regret.

The Snow Child

Post category:Quick Reads

The Snow Child: Short story by Angela Carter The main theme of Angela Carter’s Snow Child is feminist gender stereotyping. There are no heroes here. A powerful, dominating and lustful Count humiliates his wife by wishing for a young girl and clothing her in the vain Countess’s furs. His masculinity and dignity are then stripped away as he weeps while defiling the child’s dead body. The usually submissive Countess experiences a moment of power as the Count guiltily hands her the rose that’s thorn prick killed the child. This passes when a similar prick fails to kill her, proving that she lacks the sweet innocence of the snow child.

The End of Old Horse

Post category:Quick Reads

The End of Old Horse: Short story by Simon J. Ortiz In this coming of age story by Simon Ortiz, “Old Horse” is a dog that chokes to death trying to free itself from a rope tying it to a pole. Earlier, two boys had observed the dog chewing at the rope and barking and snarling every once in a while. They mentioned this to its owner, a family friend, who replied that the dog is just being dumb. The rest of the story focuses on the boys’ reaction to what may have been their first experience with death and grief. Themes include freedom, loss, anger, grief, “manliness” and self-control, change.

Powder

Post category:Quick Reads

Powder: Short story by Tobias Wolff This story from Tobias Wolff explores the relationship between a boy and his father at a time when his parent’s marriage is failing. The two have very different personalities. The boy is conservative and super-organized; the father carefree and irresponsible with little regard for rules. In order to return his son home from a skiing holiday in time for Christmas, the father disregards a police barrier and attempts a dangerous drive down a mountain in heavy snow. The boy shares a moment of bonding with his father as he uncharacteristically decides to ignore the potential consequences and enjoy the experience.

The Answer is No

Post category:Quick Reads

The Answer is No: Short story by Naguib Mahfouz This 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.

Popular Mechanics (Mine / Little Things)

Post category:Quick Reads

Popular Mechanics (Mine / Little Things): Short story by Raymond Carver As anyone who has witnessed an acrimonious divorce knows, sometimes demands over property settlement and custody of children defy logic. This is often because discussions are driven by anger and a desire to hurt or “get back at” the other party as opposed to fairness and what is best for all. In this short story by Raymond Carver, the only major point of argument seems to be which parent will be the main carer for the couple’s baby. Unfortunately, the simple mechanics of a newly formed human body lead to a “Solomon-like” solution that will not please either of them.

The New Food

Post category:Quick Reads

The New Food: Short story by Stephen Leacock The climax of this very short story is the gruesome death of an imaginary baby. If you did not know who wrote it, you might attribute the plot to the playful, postmodernist style of an author like Donald Barthelme. In fact, the story was published way back in 1910. It comes from Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock’s first short story collection, Literary Lapses. A fascinating aspect of the story is its modern relevance. Viewed in the context of today’s world, the story is a wonderful satire of heavily processed convenience foods and the contribution they make towards child obesity.

The Key Game

Post category:Quick Reads

The Key Game: Short story by Ida Fink Some years ago we featured Ida Fink‘s story A Spring Morning in which a Jewish couple question the wisdom of bringing their five-year-old daughter into the world as they sit at home waiting for the German SS to come for them. In this story by the same author, a family moves from place to place to avoid capture. Rather than feel guilty, they are thankful for their three-year-old son whose skill at “The Key Game” may be his Jewish father’s only means of survival. Themes include family, fear, desperation, role reversal, loss of innocence, premature responsibility.