The 13-Carat Diamond

The 13-Carat Diamond: Short story by Khin Myo ChitKhin Mya (aka Khin Myo Chit) is one of a small number of recognized Burmese (now Myanmars) authors who wrote in English as well as their native tongue. The story takes place during World War II at the time the Japanese occupied Burma. It tells of the humorous experiences of a young couple who are finding it hard to make ends meet. The woman fails at running a market stall, and comes up with a plan to become rich overnight. All she has to do is find someone with a 13-carat diamond they are willing sell.

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The Loaded Dog

The Loaded Dog: Short story by Henry LawsonThis is one of the best-known stories by Australian poet and writer, Henry Lawson. It takes place in the late 1800s and involves three men and their big, lovable retriever pup. The men are working together digging for gold and like to go fishing in their free time. When the fish stop biting, they decide to catch them by making a bomb and exploding it in the water. The pup picks up the bomb, accidentally lights the fuse as he runs past the campfire, and has great fun chasing the men around the gold fields trying to give it back.

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Slowly, Slowly in the Wind

Slowly, Slowly in the Wind: Short story by Patricia HighsmithIn this story by Patricia Highsmith, doctors warn “Skip” Skipperton, a notoriously bad-tempered business executive, to slow down or risk early death. His answer is to buy Coldstream Heights, a small but comfortable farm. Skip’s only problem is that the titular “stream” is a few meters inside a neighbor’s property, which the owner won’t sell or lease at any price. Not used to being refused, Skip is enraged. When his beloved daughter elopes with the neighbor’s son, he kills the old man. Unfortunately for Skip, the murder is exposed by a children’s Halloween prank. Themes: anger, narcissism, pride, revenge, justice.

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Talpa

Talpa: Short story by Juan RulfoThe major themes of this story by Juan Rulfo, which some see as a religious allegory, are faith, conspiracy to cause death, suffering, betrayal, adultery and remorse. The wife and brother of a man dying slowly from a painful, weeping skin condition agree to take him on a pilgrimage to a famous religious shrine. They are in an adulterous relationship and, knowing the trip will kill him, hope to be together sooner. The man begs to return several times during the increasingly painful journey, but the pitiless couple drive him on. When he eventually does die, they return home disappointed.

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Overcoat

Overcoat: Short story by Ghulam AbbasThe major theme of this story by Ghulam Abbas is how people judge others by their appearance. A clearly impoverished man uses an overcoat, scarf and cane to create the persona of a well-to-do dandy. He enjoys a leisurely stroll through the streets of Lahore, and is welcomed in shops he could not otherwise enter. Importantly, the reader is also taken in by the guise until it is stripped away as his clothes are removed in hospital. Other themes include loneliness, social class, the human desire to “fit in” and be treated with respect, the unpredictability of life and death.

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Naga

Naga: Short story by R. K. NarayanIn this story by R. K. Narayan, a widowed Indian snake charmer trains a monkey for his young son so the two can work together entertaining people in the streets. All goes well until the father runs away with a strumpet in a blue sari, taking the monkey with him. Left alone with the snake, which has grown too old to perform, the boy misses the monkey more than his father. He reluctantly keeps the snake after realizing it can’t survive in the wild, and looks for another kind of work. Themes include poverty, selfishness, abandonment, independence, loyalty, compassion.

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The Possibility of Evil

The Possibility of Evil: Short story by Shirley JacksonThe major theme of this Shirley Jackson story is that appearances can be misleading. A secondary theme, which is particularly relevant these days, is ‘fake news’. Miss Strangeworth, who possibly suffers from OCD, believes that her letters, although based purely on suspicion, are for the good of the community. Her objective may be noble, but many of the thoughts expressed are evil. The story’s message is two-fold: 1) we must be constantly on guard against the “possibility of evil”; and 2) evil is sometimes committed under the guise of seemingly good causes. Other themes: heritage, haughtiness, alienation, community, revenge.

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The New Dress

The New Dress: Short story by Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf’s middle-aged, lower middle-class protagonist has gone to great lengths to have the perfect dress made for an upper middle-class party. The moment she arrives, she sees that the dress is “not right”. Highly embarrassed, she imagines everyone is mocking her. At first, she blames her situation on her working class upbringing and fantasizes about what might have been if her family had been wealthy. Then, in a moment of introspection, she remembers the good times in her life, commits to a plan for self-improvement, and leaves the party early. Themes: insecurity, self-consciousness, class, poverty, alienation, self-discovery.

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