A major theme of this Shirley Jackson story is community responsibility in preventing violence. Before the “showdown”, young Billy’s Saturdays were quiet and uneventful. When Tom Harper’s death breaks the pattern, a mystical power puts Billy (and possibly other townspeople) into a time loop. After many repeated Saturdays, Billy realizes that to break the cycle he must do something to prevent Tom’s death. Could the “haunting” be a result of Tom’s girlfriend Susy’s promises: I won’t ever forget you, and neither will anyone else! I’ll see that they don’t get off easy! Other themes: violence, love, hope, revenge, the supernatural. More…
Category Archives: Short Stories
The Bet
This Anton Chekhov opens with a dinner discussion about capital punishment. A banker claims the death penalty is kind because a lifetime in prison is not worth living. A lawyer argues that any life is better than no life at all. To prove his point, the banker bets the lawyer a small fortune that he couldn’t survive being locked up for many years with minimal contact with the outside world. Towards the end of the period, the banker visits him with murderous intent. Themes include crime and punishment, idealism and conviction, isolation and dehumanization, acquired wisdom, greed and excess. More…
The Pit and the Pendulum
In this story by Edgar Allan Poe, a man in a dreamlike state of consciousness swoons upon being sentenced to death by the Spanish Inquisition. He wakes to find himself tied to a wooden frame in a chamber housing three forms of horrific death: a deep, water-filled pit; a slowly descending, razor-sharp pendulum; and contracting, red-hot walls. After almost giving up and welcoming death, he finds the will to live and devises a plan to escape the pendulum. As the walls close in, an unexpected visitor saves him. Themes include injustice, sadism, fear, time, the will to live, inventiveness, salvation More…
A White Heron
A major theme of this story from Sarah Orne Jewett is exploitation of nature. A young girl (Sylvia) must choose between much needed money and protecting a rare, beautiful bird. Some see the story as a metaphor for industrialization encroaching upon the pristine Maine woods. The repeated references to “whiteness” (the heron, cow’s milk, Sylvia’s pale skin), symbolize the purity of both the environment and the girl. Other themes: temptation, feminism (the right for Sylvia [women] to live as she chooses and not to serve and follow him [a man] and love him as a dog loves!) More…
Blood-Burning Moon
Set in the American South during the days of enforced segregation, this story by Jean Toomer involves a love triangle between Louisa, an attractive young African-American woman and two men. Bob (the entitled son a white planter whose slaves were freed and landholdings reduced after the Civil War) picks a fight with his adversary Tom (a poor, quick-tempered black labourer). When Bob pulls a knife, Tom does likewise and kills him. In keeping with the times, Tom is gruesomely executed by a white vigilante mob. Themes: love vs. lust, racism/white supremacy, identity, violence, vigilante justice. More…
Monster
The titular Monster in this story by Catherine Lim is an old, rickety, bug-infested bed, treasured by a frail woman in her seventies and despised by her daughter-in-law. Set in highly competitive Singapore, the other monster in the house is generational conflict arising from a fundamental cultural change: a growing lack of respect, understanding and compassion for the aged. Ironically, when the daughter-in-law is finally in a position to destroy the much-hated bed, she learns it may be worth a lot of money! Themes include generational conflict, cultural change (less respect for the aged), sentimentality, materialism, social class. More…
Poovan Pazham
Sometimes famous stories of the past, like this one by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, solve problems in ways that would not be acceptable today. A mismatched couple (an uneducated “town rowdy” and university-educated, “fashionable lady”) begin their marriage at odds with one another. Frustrated by trying to change her husband into her idea of a gentleman, the haughty wife is constantly nagging and ill-tempered. The man calmly puts up with this until a quest to find poovan pazham (dessert bananas) proves too much. Themes include non-traditional marriage, social expectations vs. personal freedom, marital quest, gratitude, “education”, guilt, love, nostalgia. More…
Train
In this story by Joy Williams, a sensitive, compassionate girl (Dan) rides a long-distance train with the family of a rude, cynical, self-absorbed friend (Jane). The two ten-year-olds spend much of the time walking through the train interacting with Jane’s argumentative, pretentious parents and other passengers. Dan, who has problems of her own at home, “comes of age” as she realizes the world is not always a happy place, and that Jane is unfit to be her friend. Surprisingly, Jane’s father seems to have a similar opinion of his daughter! Themes include friendship, family dysfunction, conflict, loneliness, epiphany. More…
Adam and Eve and Pinch Me
In one of A. E. Coppard’s more enigmatic stories, a confused man finds himself unable to open the doors in his house or communicate with his three children or servants. The inference is that he is dead and doesn’t know it. Relief comes when he awakens from a daydream with his wife beside him. However, he has a different identity and the third child featured in the dream, who had special powers, has not yet been born. Themes include the convergence of reality and fantasy, death, family, frustration, anger, precognition, identity. More…
The Postmaster
For me, the major theme of this Rabindranath Tagore story is the insensitivity towards others under India’s caste system. An inexperienced postal officer from a big city is sent to work in a remote rural village. He lives a lonely, isolated life because class differences and immaturity make it difficult for him to integrate into the local community. His only companion is his housekeeper, a young orphaned girl. The two develop a strong bond, which leaves the devoted girl shattered with her callous treatment when he decides to leave. Other themes: natural beauty, alienation, loneliness, memories, family, companionship, guilt. More…
The Machine That Won the War
This story by Isaac Asimov remains relevant today as technology plays an increasing role in controlling everything from military applications to crucial infrastructure. The main theme is the danger of placing blind faith in either machine or human decision-making. Ironically, the war wasn’t won by Multivac or any of the three ‘experts’. It was won either by chance or because of problems experienced by the enemy. Pointedly, no thought is given to the rights and wrongs of the war or the suffering on both sides. Earth has won. Basking in the glory, this is all the three men care about! More…
Mrs. Bathurst
A major theme of this enigmatic story by Rudyard Kipling is the potential destructive power of love. Interestingly, we never meet the two central characters: Mrs. Bathurst, a New Zealand hotel keeper renowned for her kindness to needy sailors, and “Click” Vickery, a naval warrant officer who once had a serious affair with her. Vickery becomes so obsessed with a cinematograph clip in a traveling circus showing Mrs. Bathurst in London that he deserts his ship and follows the circus to the next town. Other themes include alienation, chance and accident, ambiguity, passion, death and guilt. More…
A Way of Talking
The major theme of this story from Patricia Grace is casual racism: the habit of using a racial descriptor (in this case the terms Maori and Pakeha) in a way that infers all members of an ethnic or cultural group share the same characteristics. Set in New Zealand, an indigenous university student visiting her home town for her sister’s wedding teaches the older girl a new “way of talking” when confronted with discriminatory or racist language. Other themes: cultural and individual identity; education as a force for social change; the courage to speak out, even if standing alone. More…
Hands
Sherwood Anderson’s Hands was a ground-breaking story for its time. A young teacher is so traumatized by false accusations of child molestation that he flees, changes his identity, and shuts himself off from the world. He is now a frightened loner, with only one friend in the world and a nervous tic in his hands. Themes: mob “justice”, isolation and loneliness, living in fear, embracing one’s dreams. Many people, like the protagonist, express their emotions in a “touchy feely” way. Sadly, even today, such people need to be careful lest this be misinterpreted or maliciously used against them. More…
Eveline
A major theme of James Joyce’s Eveline is gender roles in early 20th century Dublin (the limited life choices available to young women from working-class families of the time). Faced with no meaningful job opportunities, they were expected to act as unpaid family help until married. Children may then bring some joy, but the rest of their lives would consist of the same inescapable drudgery and potential abuse as at home. Other themes include duty, domestic abuse and exploitation, escape vs. uncertainty and fear, guilt, and paralysis (conditioned acceptance of her lot). More…
If You Sing like That for Me
In this story by Akhil Sharma, an older Indian woman looks back on the early months of her arranged marriage. Growing up belittled by her mother (for not being as driven and academically successful as her younger sister) and manipulated by her father, she hoped for love. Although initially fearful and distant from her husband, she woke up one morning realizing that she had fallen in love with him. Sadly, when she finds the courage to discuss her feelings, she finds that to him she is a mere commodity. Themes include arranged marriage, sibling rivalry, alienation and loneliness, love, disillusionment. More…
Ghosts
The ghosts in this Edwidge Danticat story are not the spectral kind. They are chimès… gang members of the Haitian slums. The story takes readers into one of these slums, and provides a glimpse of what life is like for young people growing up inside. It helps explain why young men join the gangs, the problems they face with police brutality and corruption at every level of society, and how the only way out for many is a bullet. Sadly, the problems described are not unique to Haiti. Themes include: social breakdown, gang culture, betrayal, parental love and sacrifice. More…
Resurrection of a Life
In this story by William Saroyan, a man reflects on his life as a ten-year-old paperboy in 1917. As many of his memories appear infused with wisdom that usually comes with age, it is difficult to distinguish between his true boyhood thoughts and adult-inspired interpretations. One area where the difference is clear is religion. As a boy, he found it difficult to accept God due to the carnage of World War 1 and other injustices in his world. As an adult, he believes there is no death, and can never be. Themes: poverty, morality, facing and accepting reality, belonging, religion. More…
A New England Nun
The major themes of this Mary E. Wilkins Freeman story are honor, loyalty and self-sacrifice. A young engaged couple pledge to remain faithful to one another when the man asks for time before they marry to go away and make his fortune. Fourteen years later, he returns a rich man. Both have honoured the pledge, and they make wedding plans. Although circumstances have changed and each has a reason not to marry, neither will admit it out of respect for the other’s loyalty. An overheard conversation changes things. Other themes include choices and consequences, independence, solitude, gender roles, courage, identity. More…
The Bridegroom
This story by Nadine Gordimer begins with a poetic description of the camaraderie between an Afrikaans overseer and his native African work crew as they enjoy a musical evening around a campfire. The living arrangements in their isolated road-building camp are segregated. However, loneliness has brought the overseer relatively close to the men, who look upon him indulgently. Things are about to change. The overseer is bringing his new wife to live in the camp. He shows his true self by having all the cooking and cleaning done for her, and forbidding the men from going anywhere near their caravan. More…
The Station
In this story by H. E. Bates, a stop at an all-night café run by an attractive young woman has a disturbing effect on an eighteen-year-old truck driver’s assistant. The young man is new to the job, and driver had warned him that he shouldn’t take any special attention by woman the wrong way: She won’t have it. She’s nice to (all) the chaps because it’s business, that’s all.. Despite this, the assistant is spellbound by the woman. She senses this and flirts a little, raising sexual tension in the naïve young man. Themes include innocence, female sexuality, desire. More…
Slave on the Block
This early Langston Hughes story satirizes attitudes toward African American music and culture during the Harlem Renaissance. A wealthy, artistic couple seek to improve their social status through paintings and music inspired by their African American servants. Although superficially respectful of the servant’s African heritage, they privately exhibit a condescending tone towards these natural, childlike people who should be left unspoiled and simply enjoyed. A young negro, fresh from the south, learns to manipulate the patronizing couple before orchestrating a metaphorical bid for “freedom”. Themes: freedom vs. slavery, the beauty of black music and art, moral superiority, suppressed desire, racism. More…
The (Diamond) Necklace
This Guy de Maupassant story is about a beautiful woman who is unhappy with her situation in life. She has a loving husband with a secure government job, and they have enough money to hire a girl to do the harder housework. Sadly, she sees him as just a “little” clerk and dreams of being admired by richer and more important men. An invitation to a ball and loss of a borrowed necklace teach her how lucky she was, and what it means to be very poor. Themes include appearance vs. reality, class, discontent, vanity, pride, sacrifice, and suffering. More…
Immigration Blues
Bienvenido Santos’s Immigration Blues deals with the plight of a Filipino woman wanting to make a future in the United States. Without a permanent visa, her only hope is to gain residence through marriage. Her sister learns of a retired Filipino widower with U.S. Citizenship. In a humorous visit laced with dramatic irony, the two women are initially too embarrassed to raise the topic of marriage. When the old man finally understands their purpose, he thanks God for allowing lightning to strike the same person twice. Themes: immigration, cultural isolation, hope, fear, pride, and the emptiness of growing old alone. More…
Rip Van Winkle
Although Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle is widely considered one of the first American short stories, it was inspired by a German folktale. In order to escape the wrath of his shrewish wife, a lazy but lovable man goes hunting in the Catskill Mountains. He has an adventure involving some odd-looking men, a keg of strange liquor, and a very long night’s sleep. He doesn’t bring back any game but, like his country, returns to a peace and freedom never experienced before. Themes include storytelling, tyranny (his wife/England) vs. independence, indolence and passivity, marital conflict, progress, the supernatural. More…
A Temporary Matter
This story from Jhumpa Lahiri deals with one of her common themes: alienation within a relationship. A young, once happily married Indian-American couple have drifted apart following the loss of their stillborn first child. A week of evening power outages leads to a word game that gets them beginning to communicate again. Although neither raises the big issues between them, there appears hope for a re-building of the relationship. Unfortunately, at weeks end the woman shares news that devastates the man. He responds with a cruel truth of his own. Other themes: grief, guilt, lack of communication, deception, moving on. More…
Contents of the Dead Man’s Pockets
This exceedingly suspenseful story by Jack Finney is a tale of drive, ambition and the pursuit of quick success taken too far. It also raises an interesting question: At what point does a material object become worth risking your life for? A man climbs out of a window onto the ledge outside his eleventh floor apartment to retrieve a piece of paper. Ironically, what is on the paper is “incomprehensible” to anyone but him, and could readily be replaced with two months of repeated research. Themes: misplaced priorities, risks vs. consequences, determination, fear, desperation, enlightenment. More…
The Return
Today we have a story by Argentinean writer Fernando Sorrentino. At first, it reads like a typical ‘campfire’ horror story. A man looking out his window witnesses a mean neighbour accidentally causing the death of an old beggar. Later, he sees the dead beggar return in the form of a newborn baby boy. When the boy is older, he causes the death of the man who killed him and then suddenly disappears. The author has cleverly created the character of the narrator so that, if readers look a little harder, they might question if this is what really happened. More…
Four Summers
This story from Joyce Carol Oates charts the coming of age of a woman through four stages of life: infancy, childhood, adolescence and early womanhood. Her emotional development and the lives of those around her are portrayed through experiences over four summers at the same lakeside bar. Growing up in a working class environment in which hard drinking and angry outbursts are the norm, she is increasingly disillusioned by what she sees. At nineteen, she finds herself married, pregnant and facing a life of the same. Themes include marriage, family and the role of social class in determining one’s future. More…
I Stand Here Ironing
In this story by Tillie Olsen, a woman reviews events that may help a counselor better understand her nineteen-year-old-daughter. In the process, she questions the extent to which she may be responsible for her daughter’s problems. Poor care choices and lack of attention as an infant, and conflict with her younger sister as she grew up, have clearly affected the girl’s emotional development. A key question is what, if anything, could the woman have done differently in a society indifferent to the plight of single mothers. Themes: parenting, mother-daughter relationships, female identity, child cruelty, guilt, acceptance, hope. More…
The Little Things / Tears for Sale
Samira Azzam is best known for her later stories presenting a Palestinian perspective on the violence associated with the creation of Israel. Her lesser-known earlier stories are marked by entertaining descriptions of pre-war Palestinian life and traditions. In Little Things, a lovestruck college student tries but fails to heed her parent’s advice to remain virtuous and “not be like other silly girls”. Themes include reputation, first love, sexuality, self-determination. In Tears for Sale, a professional mourner who doubles as a beautician for brides learns that grief is easier to fake than suffer. Themes include curiosity, death, grief, marriage, virtue. More…
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
This story from Harlan Ellison is an example of New Wave Science Fiction, a literary movement that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. Distinguishing features are storylines that are intellectually implausible, and disturbing themes that would not normally be included in traditional science fiction. A sentient supercomputer has destroyed the human race other than five ‘specimens’. With no creative outlet for its powers, it has kept these alive and subjected them to torturous challenges for over one hundred years as revenge against humanity for creating it. Themes: humanity vs. technology, godhood, individualism, revenge, cruelty, violence, misogyny, self-sacrifice More…
Black Tickets
This heavily poetic steam of conscience narrative by Jayne Anne Phillips is not an easy read. Bouncing backwards and forwards in time, a former rapist and now imprisoned drug dealer recalls his obsessive love for and unpredictable, often violent relationship with, his unconventional “boyish” girlfriend. The drugs were pedaled in the seedy movie theatre in which she worked, and it unclear whether she, their “brotherly” hunch-backed supplier, or even the old theatre owner she was “in good with”, set him up. Themes include love, alienation, jealousy, violence, drug dealing and abuse, betrayal. More…
In Another Country
Set during World War 1, the major theme of his story by Ernest Hemingway is courage: courage to face an enemy in war, and courage to try to rebuild one’s life after being badly injured or suffering a major setback. A wounded American, thought to be Hemingway’s alter ego Nick Adams, visits a Milan hospital every day for exercises to rehabilitate a wounded knee. He shares his fears about returning to the front, and his relationship and experiences with five Italian soldiers undergoing treatment. Other themes: dealing with disability and loss, fear of death, camaraderie, dignity vs. bravado, alienation, loneliness. More…
Man from the South
This story by Roald Dahl is about gambling, greed, appearances and ‘face’. A young man accepts what appears to be an easy bet. If he is successful, he will win an expensive car. If he loses, he must give up a small body part. Many reviews suggest that the English girl is not important to the story. I disagree. The young man was at first unhappy with the bet. If he was alone at the time, he could well have walked away. But this is not something a young sailor out to win a girl would do! More…
Bigfoot Stole My Wife / I Am Bigfoot
Today we have two linked stories from Ron Carlson: Bigfoot Stole My Wife and I am Bigfoot. In the first, despite a host of context clues suggesting that the protagonist’s wife has left him, shame and denial lead him to believe that the legendary Bigfoot has abducted her. Using flawed logic, he argues that this must be true because another seemingly impossible event in his life was also true. The story opens with the line: “The problem is credibility.” In the ironic second story, credibility comes as Bigfoot issues a fearful warning to all men of the world. More…
The Secret Cause
Characters in Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis stories often have a causa secreta (ulterior motive) for their actions. When a young doctor opens a hospital in partnership with a forty-year-old acquaintance, he is amazed by the older man’s dedication to nursing the most seriously ill and injured patients. A visit to his partner’s house explains why. He is a sadist who finds pleasure in inflicting pain on animals and observing the suffering of others. The doctor suppresses a growing love for the man’s frightened wife, only letting it show on her deathbed. Themes include sadism, cruelty, and secret love. More…
Dahong Palay
The Filipino term dahong palay has several meanings: a rice leaf, a single edged sword and, as in this story by Arturo B. Rotor, a deadly viper. A young man is the butt of constant jokes about his timid nature and slight build. An attempt to prove himself at a community rice-pounding gathering leads to further ridicule. Later, when bitten by a dahong palay to save his prospective girlfriend, he proves that resourcefulness, strength and courage aren’t dependent upon how well-built you are. Themes: community, body image, bullying, young love, courage. More…
Filial Sentiments of a Parricide
Filial parricide is the murder of a parent by a son or daughter. This story by Marcel Proust, originally published as a newspaper article and full of classic literary references, discusses a parricide-suicide committed by a highly respected French businessman. Written shortly after the death of Proust’s mother, he philosophizes about memories, the nature of death, the observation that all children commit a slow form of parricide through the anxiety and pain they cause their parents, and the question of whether, if they knew this, some may feel that life is worth living. Themes include memory, death, madness, parent-child relationships. More…
Signs and Symbols
Vladimir Nabokov once indicated that Signs and Symbols contains a second story hidden behind various textual clues. The frame story, which involves an elderly couple’s dilemma about how to deal with their institutionalized mentally ill son, is a moving piece of dramatic prose in its own right. The supposed inner story has been the subject of much speculation. So far, nobody has convincingly decoded it. Perhaps there is none, Nabokov’s intention being to encourage readers to pay more attention to the signs and symbols in their own lives. Themes include mental illness, alienation, misfortune, suffering, poverty, death, parental love, hope. More…
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
This Ambrose Bierce story contains some of the best descriptive language in American literature… so much so that most people will need to read the passage at least twice in order to properly appreciate it. All I can say about the plot without spoiling the experience for those who haven’t read it is that the surprise ending usually sticks in reader’s minds for some time. The major themes: sense of duty; love and sacrifice; the brutality of war; confronting death; near-death experiences; and time (the length of a moment) as reflected in the personification metaphor time stood still. More…
A Problem
In this Anton Chekhov story, wealthy family members consider what to do about a nephew who has issued a false promissory note (IOU) in one of their names. Do they repay the debt to preserve family honor and avoid a scandal, or let justice take its course? On learning of the decision, the unscrupulous young man uses it to extort further money from an uncle trying to help him and, in the process, grudgingly admits an unfortunate aspect of his character. Themes: crime and consequences; justice/civic duty vs. family honor; nature vs. nurture, hedonism of the young upper-class, pride, despair. More…
The Purloined Letter
Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his horror stories. However, only about fifteen of his sixty or so stories are of this kind.He is also widely recognized as the “father” of modern detective fiction thanks to his three tales featuring the Chevalier [Sir] Auguste Dupin. In a manner later emulated by the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, Dupin succeeds where eminent policemen fail… in this case, simply by recognizing that the best place to hide something important is in plain sight. Themes: blackmail, political manipulation, deception, linear (scientific) vs. lateral thinking. More…
Mrs. Geni in December
This story by Arswendo Atmowiloto explores the life of an eccentric Indonesian bridal make-up artist. While some of her views reflect Indonesia’s Muslim culture (marrying when it is time, not of love, and support for polygyny), others challenge it (pregnant brides should be proud of their proven fertility and not hide the fact). She believes that while marriage is illogical and “humanity’s most restricting and frightening discovery”, the ceremony brings joy and happiness. She proclaims: “Let people experience joy once in their lives,” implying the ceremony may mark the end of their happiness. Themes include marriage, freedom and happiness. More…
End of the Game
This Julio Cortázar story involves two “games”. One is the daily Statues role-play three adolescent girls perform to entertain passengers on a passing train. The second is also a game of pretend… ignoring the effect a debilitating disability will have on one of their lives. For the disabled girl (Letitia), Statues is the only physical activity in which she can match the others. They in turn are resentful of Letitia’s special treatment at home. When a boy on the train takes a special interest in Letitia, both games end. Themes: fantasy vs. reality, envy, guilt, confronting disability, coming of age. More…
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh
This story by Ray Bradbury packs a lot of raw emotion, even though the “action” is limited to a single conversation that takes place over the course of no more than half an hour. A fourteen-year-old drummer boy who must march into battle with no gun or means of protecting himself is a bundle of nerves on the night before his first encounter with the enemy. An inspirational talk with his commanding general teaches him that his drum may be one of the most effective weapons in the army. Themes: isolation and loneliness, empathy, duty, fear, courage, death, honor. More…
Flowering Judas
The major theme of this story by Katherine Porter is betrayal. Other themes include alienation, fear, corruption, despair and guilt. Laura, an idealistic American schoolteacher who traveled to Mexico to support the socialist revolution has a sense of impending doom. Trapped by the unwanted attentions of the corrupt, adulterous revolutionary Braggioni and with no love for the Mexican people, she feels lost and alone. Braggioni’s lifestyle is a betrayal of both his socialist ideals and marriage. In working for a socialist cause, Laura betrays her Catholic faith. Her sexual repression could also be seen as betrayal of her womanhood. More…
The Ransom of Red Chief
In this story by O. Henry, two bumbling swindlers kidnap a boy to raise money for their next scam. Unfortunately, they choose the wrong victim. Not only is the boy hyperactive and uncontrollable but, poorly treated at home, he enjoys camping out with them so much that he doesn’t want to return. Through various persona (including the warrior Red Chief), he drives the men to distraction … so much so that when his father refuses to pay their ransom, they pay him to take the boy back. Themes include crime, parental neglect, misjudgement, imagination and make-believe, violence, poetic justice. More…
Secretary
In this story by Mary Gaitskill an insecure, introverted young woman from a dysfunctional family begins her first ever job as a secretary in a lawyer’s office. Unfortunately, her employer is a sadistic sexual predator. After several weeks of repeated spelling mistakes in letters she types, he calls her into his office and spanks her. She is both repulsed and sexually stimulated by the humiliation. She quits the job when he goes a step further and, after responding to the degradation by pleasuring herself, the poor woman suffers an emotional breakdown. Themes include innocence, sexuality, workplace harassment, sexual assault, BDSM. More…
The Drover’s Wife
In this story by Henry Lawson, a woman remembers the many hardships and few good times in her life as she sits up all night with only a dog to help protect her and her children from a deadly snake. The snake has crawled under their house. They can’t sleep inside, as the wooden floor has gaps in it. They cower in the kitchen, which is attached to the side of the house and has an earthen floor. The children sleep on the table. She sits on a chair with a stick on her lap, waiting for the snake. More…