In this story by Aimee Bender a conceited, deliberately overdressed woman attends a party with the stated objective of kissing three men of different hair color. Her character is defined in an anecdote about how she once named her Great Dane “Off” to play with the minds of other women at a dog park. The independently wealthy woman is highly insecure, struggling to fit in and form meaningful relationships. This results in bitterness and vindictiveness towards other women, and a demeaning climax as she tries to win kiss number three. Themes include self-admiration, loneliness, insecurity, jealousy and bitterness, hope. More…
Category Archives: Short Stories
A Horse and Two Goats
This story from R. K. Narayan is a humorous account of the protagonist (Muri)’s trials and tribulations in a remote Indian village. Its major theme is culture clash (the villagers’ deep spirituality and acceptance of their lot vs. an American’s “money is everything” attitude). Other themes include miscommunication (and how it can sometimes pay off handsomely), change (younger villagers’ loss of appreciation of their cultural heritage, as symbolized by their indifference towards the statue), chauvinism (both men are extremely patronizing towards their wives), and archaeological looting (the American must surely recognize that the statue is of spiritual and/or historical significance!). More…
The Eskimo Connection
The “connection” in this story by Hisaye Yamamoto is a correspondence relationship between a widowed Japanese-American poet living in California and a young Eskimo man jailed in a federal penitentiary. Although initially reluctant to write due in part to differences in age, family situation, culture and social situation, the woman empathises with the young man because of her own experiences in a wartime internment camp. This clouds her judgement, and she naively overlooks hints that he may have a capacity for extreme violence. Themes include loneliness, compassion, matriarchy, family struggle, interethnic bonding, art and writing, violence, imprisonment, religion. More…
Nothing Ever Breaks Except the Heart
In this story from Kay Boyle, a harried man working in an airline ticket office befriends a woman trying to reach America from war-torn Europe. The essence of the story lies in his response to a complaint by a fellow employee: I tell you, I can’t do it much longer. I’m at the breaking point. His retort: You’ve been saying that for a year and a half. But nothing ever breaks. We later learn that something has broken for the man (his heart), and it is not over a woman! Themes: unfulfilled dreams, alcohol abuse, self-reproach, despair, flight from war. More…
Recitatif
This story by Toni Morrison explores the relationship between two women of different race who meet as eight-year-olds in a children’s shelter and become reacquainted at several points in the future. In addition to conflicts that arise as their lives move in different directions, both remain haunted by recollections of the ill-treatment received by a disabled kitchen-hand who worked at the shelter. An unusual aspect of the story is that although a major theme is racism, we never learn the ethnicity of the two women. Other themes: friendship, alienation, prejudice, disability, parenting, memory. More…
Souvenir
This story by Jayne Anne Phillips focuses on the almost sisterly relationship between a young graduate student (Kate) and her fifty-five-year-old widowed mother who is diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain tumor. Kate’s anguish over her mother’s condition is compounded by moral concern over her older brother’s decision not to disclose the unpleasant prognosis of scheduled brain surgery. As Kate struggles to cope with the possibility of losing her mother, the mother eases her pain by reminiscing about their good times together and making a comforting admission. Themes include alienation and loneliness, death and the fragility of life, motherhood. More…
The Elevator
In this story by William Sleator, a timid twelve-year-old who is bullied at school and ridiculed by his father for his weakness faces two fears alone. Always uncomfortable in elevators, his first challenge is the old, creaky three-person elevator in the apartment block they have just moved into. His second fear is a fat woman with a piggish look who stares at him uncomfortably when they meet in the elevator and seems to be stalking him. The latter fear appears justified. Themes include agoraphobia (fear of being trapped), paranoia, facing one’s fears, parental insensitivity.
The Stars
This story by S. Rajaratnam is a biting satire of the “science” of astrology. Inspired by the author’s Hindu upbringing in which those around him shared a strong belief that one’s destiny is written in the stars, he relates the tale of an Indian farmer who doubles as his village astrologer. Having charted his own stars and determined the date and time of his death, he decides to silence sceptics by inviting the whole village to witness and celebrate the event. Themes include astrology, determinism vs. free will, obsession, faith, failure (“miscalculation”), scepticism. More…
First Confession
Although the plot of this Frank O’Connor story deals with an important milestone in the Catholic faith, the points made are equally relevant to several other religions. The story satirizes the instilling of fear (of punishment/Hell) as the reason for taking the Eucharist as opposed to celebrating God’s love. A young boy’s intolerance over his country grandmother’s unusual habits results in violent fantasies. A priest’s double standards in scolding the boy’s sister for hitting him and “rewarding” the boy for confessing these murderous thoughts sends them both a confusing message. Themes include innocence, morality, guilt, indoctrination, intimidation, fear, hypocrisy. More…
Gimpel the Fool
If you take the story at face value (which is often dangerous with a first person narration), Isaac Singer’s Gimpel is no fool. He understands and rationalizes all that has happened in his life, claiming to have been misjudged due to being too trusting and accommodating towards others. Sadly, although not considering himself a fool, he feels compelled to accept the title. The real fools are shown to be those who took advantage of Gimpel, especially his debauched wife who suffers the consequences in the afterlife. Themes: faith, kindness and integrity, forgiveness, strength and wisdom, acceptance. More…
Tiny, Smiling Daddy
Mary Gaitskill doesn’t pull punches. This is one of those rare stories where you (almost) feel sympathy for a protagonist who is a real jerk. A father reflects on the past after learning that his daughter has written a magazine article about their relationship following her “coming out” as lesbian. Any sympathy stems from the fact that there are two sides to his character: the angry, self-absorbed homophobe who threw his daughter out of the house; and the confused, reclusive, emotionally troubled man struggling to face his failings as a father. Themes: father-daughter relationships, teenage rebellion, sexual identity, acceptance, disconnection. More…
A Rose for Emily
William Faulkner’s “Emily” is an eccentric woman who had a privileged upbringing in America’s ‘Old South’. There was talk of mental illness in the family, which may explain her difficulty in accepting her father’s death. They were close and, as he had rejected all suitors as not being good enough, she was left alone in the world. When she finally finds love in the unlikely form of a working class Northerner, she takes steps to ensure they remain together for the rest of their lives. Themes: patriarchal control, class, tradition vs. progress, death, isolation and loneliness, pride, gossip, obsessive love. More…
Animal Stories
In this story by Jason Brown, a melancholic young man struggles to deal with his mother’s looming death from a brain tumor. Spanning a brief period from her initial diagnosis in hospital to her refusal of treatment and car ride home, the story is interspersed with memories of the past and diversions involving animal videos playing on the TV in her room. The memories have as much to do with the young man coming to terms with his failures in life as they do with his mother’s deteriorating state of mind. Themes: memories, dysfunctionality, mental instability, devotion, acceptance, nature. More…
The Beautiful People
The dystopian civilization envisioned in this Charles Beaumont story has eliminated many of today’s “distractions” such as food preparation, books and even the need for sleep. It has also specified uniform male and female appearances to be adopted by undergoing a “Transformation” (operation) upon turning nineteen. A brave girl resists the change, not only putting her job and family’s social position at risk, but also threatening social stability. As she is frog-marched to the operating theater, she realizes the sinister purpose of Transformation… to remove the population’s sense of individual identity. Themes: identity, body shaming, scientific “advancement”, superficial beauty, conformity. More…
A Useless Man
Rather than being “useless”, the protagonist of this story by Sait Faik Abasıyanık admits to having given up on life. A recluse, he hasn’t washed himself or left his Istanbul neighborhood of four streets in seven years. He follows the same routine, meets the same people, and fantasizes about the same voluptuous Jewish woman every day. One day, for no apparent reason, he ventures further afield and is dumbstruck by the changes to and vibrancy of the city. After returning home, he is so disoriented by the experience that he contemplates suicide. Themes include alienation, loneliness, fear, hopelessness, depression. More…
Emergency
Our objective is to include stories from as wide a range of well-known authors as possible. Occasionally this entails featuring a story that some may find frivolous or offensive, but others rave about. So it is with this humorous drugs-fiction tale from Denis Johnson. Two friends, a hospital clerk and orderly, stumble through their shift (and manage to save an emergency patient’s eyesight!) while high on stolen medication. They then embark on a drug-addled drive involving a carnival, famous guru, dead rabbits, mistaken military graveyard, and AWOL soldier. Themes: death, despair, escapism, drug abuse, responsibility, and illusion vs. reality. More…
Why I Live at the P.O.
The major themes in Eudora Welty’s comical account of a family squabble are jealousy and sibling rivalry. When a prodigal daughter returns with a two-year-old child in tow the petulant narrator, who has remained at home, is far from welcoming. The story is a dramatic monologue told five days after the events. We only see one very biased side of what happened and, as the narrator is trying to justify her move to the “P.O.”, it is almost impossible to form an opinion as to the accuracy of her account. Other themes: family, isolation, denial, acceptance, pride, independence. More…
Blacksoil Country
Blacksoil Country by David Malouf has major themes of struggle taming the Australian bush, tolerance of its native peoples, and perspectives on ownership and access to the land. A settler shoots an innocent Aborigine bearing a gift from a neighbor. Shortly afterwards, his twelve-year-old son is brutally murdered. This triggers a racially driven killing spree, which elevates the man from a surly loner nobody wanted to associate with to hero status. Ironically, the boy is the only “white” character to have come close to understanding Aboriginal spiritual connections to the land. Other themes: father-son relationships, loyalty, racism, violence, revenge, spirituality. More…
Exchange Value
This story by Charles Johnson explores the theme that wealth brings power. Two brothers break into the apartment of an elderly, reclusive neighbor. The woman, who has been living in squalor, lies dead in bed. In her living room are cash and other valuables worth over a million dollars, which they quickly move to their own apartment. The younger brother looks forward to the better life money will bring. However, he is overruled by his older brother, who suffers the same strange reluctance to spend any of it as the old woman had. Other themes include hoarding, paranoia, isolation, poverty. More…
Armistice
The major themes of this story from Bernard Malamud are violence, ethnic cleansing, war, racism, and compromised morals. Increasing tension between Jewish grocer Morris and German small-goods provider Gus mirrors unfolding events in Eastern Europe in the lead up to France’s surrender in World War Two. Morris, who witnessed the violent Russian pogroms against his people, is concerned the same will happen in France. Fascist-leaning Gus believes the invasion is justified because of France’s poor treatment of Germany following World War One. However, neither party feels strongly enough to terminate their business relationship for fear of losing money. More…
Zita
There are two Zitas in this romantic coming of age story by Arturo B Rotor. The first is the woman who caused a broken-hearted young man to seek solace teaching on Anayat, an off-the-grid Philippine island of broken cliffs and coconut palms; the second, an adolescent Anayat schoolgirl who he agrees to teach how “to be a lady”. As sometimes happens, schoolgirl Zita develops a crush on the teacher. When he leaves in the hope of reconciling with his former love, she comes to understand something he once told her. Themes: unrequited love, alienation, depression, teenage infatuation. More…
The 400-Pound CEO
In George Saunders’s typical over-the-top style, this story uses dark humor to address themes of bullying and body shaming. Despite the indignation of being stuck in an unrewarding, distasteful job and suffering constant humiliation from colleagues, the 400-pound narrator remains calm and optimistic about the future. Things change when “a lifetime of scorn” boils over and he commits murder. In prison, his hope is replaced by misery. Although most of the story has a satirical tone, it ends on a philosophical note, questioning the existence and fairness of God. Other themes: isolation, sadism, animal cruelty, atheism More…
Her Mother
This story by Anjana Appachana describes an Indian mother’s feelings of anguish, grief and betrayal upon reading the perfunctory first letter home from her younger daughter who has travelled to America to complete a Ph.D. Much of the story involves her thoughts on how best to reply. These range from ranting about personal care and the dangers of American life, providing “chatty” family news and encouraging her to find and marry a suitable Indian man, and confronting her about her abrupt decision to leave in such anger. Themes include tradition vs. westernization, independence, marriage and gender roles, double standards, self-pity. More…
Beggar My Neighbor
In this story by Dan Jacobson, a white South African boy is confronted by the cruel realities of racism when a charitable decision to give food to two black street children gets out of hand. As the children approach him with increasing frequency, his attitude towards them changes from pity and condescension to contempt and hatred. In an epiphany that comes in a dream, he realizes that they hate him just as much as he does them, and simply want to be treated with dignity. Themes include poverty, compassion, vanity, fantasy, social class, racism, humanity. More…
Birthmates
Life for Gish Gen’s Chinese-American protagonist is not looking good. A salesman in a dying industry, he has recently divorced due to different “perspectives” on racism at work and his inability to grieve over his wife’s two miscarriages and a medical termination. Upon arrival at a sales convention, he finds that he has booked into a welfare hotel where playful children assault him the following morning. The kindness of one of its residents and a lost job opportunity cause him to finally face the loss of his wife and “child”. Themes: paranoia, self-esteem, alienation, loss, grief, cultural differences, racism, desperation. More…
The Last Lovely City
The city in this story from Alice Adams is San Francisco. An attractive young woman invites an aging, recently widowed doctor to a party where he encounters people who bring back unpleasant memories from his past. After fantasizing about a potential relationship with the woman, he learns she is an investigative journalist looking for a story. Disenchanted, he decides to move to Mexico to care for his ailing mother and help in two charity clinics he has established there. At least I more or less understand the corruption there, he argues. Themes: love, grief, memories, loneliness, hope, corruption, guilt/shame, selfishness. More…
The Birthmark
In this story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a brilliant scientist takes a break from his work to marry a woman of nearly perfect beauty. Her one “blemish” is a small hand-shaped birthmark on her left cheek. Much of the scientist’s work has involved (often unsuccessfully) trying to manipulate the laws of Nature. As he begins to obsess over the frightful birthmark, his wife agrees to allow him to remove it… even if it costs her life! The story’s message: the folly of pursuing human perfection; no one is flawless. Themes: perfection, obsession, hubris, religion, gender roles, submission/sacrifice, science vs. nature, mortality. More…
Cheap at Half the Price
The questionable message of this story by Jeffrey Archer is expressed in the opening line: Women are naturally superior to men, and Consuela Rosenheim was no exception. The beautiful socialite is nearing the end of the third of the four or five marriages she is planning on to become independently wealthy. After searching for a birthday present, she has her heart set on a million pound diamond-and-ruby necklace. Knowing her husband’s weaknesses, she hatches a plan whereby the deluded man thinks he was clever enough to buy it for half the asking price. Themes include materialism, sexuality, manipulation, deception, infidelity. More…
Wicked Girl
In this story by Isabel Allende a solitary, prepubescent eleven-year-old tries to sexually arouse her mother’s secret lover. At first the soundly sleeping man responds but, when he wakes and realizes who it is, he violently casts her aside. After she is sent to a convent, the profoundly affected man develops an unhealthy attraction towards young girls. When they meet again fifteen years later, he begs forgiveness for having rejected her in the hope this will cure his poisoned mind. She is speechless, not remembering the event. Themes include solitariness/disconnection, sexuality, obsession, the power of passion, escape, resilience. More…
Looking for a Rain-God
This story by Botswanan writer Bessie Head deals with one of the world’s most terrible crimes. It takes place in Botswana’s “lonely lands” where families usually live a poor but contented life in harmony with nature. Every year, when village headmen proclaim the beginning of the cropping season, farming families relocate from the villages to their ploughing lands. We follow a family who, having endured six years of crippling drought, reach a point in the seventh year where they feel they must make a devastating decision: to all perish from starvation or sacrifice their children to a rain-god. More…
The Paper Menagerie
The central message of this poignant story from Ken Liu is in these lines: You know what the Chinese think is the saddest feeling in the world? It’s for a child to finally grow the desire to take care of his parents, only to realize that they were long gone. An American high schooler rejects his heritage and distances himself from his poorly educated, non-English speaking mother. After her death, he finds something that changes his outlook and brings back the magical world she had created for him as a child. Themes: struggle, cultural assimilation, identity, resentment, motherly love, imagination. More…
Doc’s Story
In this story by John Edgar Wideman, a young man recovering from a break-up with his girlfriend is inspired by a story about “Doc”, a former academic and college basketballer who lost his eyesight. Doc could still shoot baskets from the foul line, and once held his own in a full game. This causes him to wonder whether, if he had told Doc’s story to his former girlfriend (If a blind man could play basketball surely we . . .), he could have saved their relationship. Themes include relationships, storytelling, race, depression, overcoming challenges, inspiration, hope. More…
The Wreath
In this moving story by Luigi Pirandello, a middle-aged doctor is disturbed to learn that his much younger wife, who still has feelings for a former lover who died before they married, has gone behind his back and secretly ordered a wreath for the anniversary of his death. At first angry and ready to “take her back to her father’s house,” he calms down and finally accompanies her to the cemetery. Touched by his gesture, she looks at him as she had never looked at him before. Themes include the beauty of nature, love, mourning, deceit, understanding and compassion. More…
The Son
In this emotionally charged story by Horacio Quiroga, a thirteen-year-old boy goes hunting in woods near his home. He is well aware of the dangers associated with hunting alone, and competent in the use of a gun. The boy’s father, who is not well and suffers from hallucinations, becomes concerned when he does not return at the agreed time. Fearing the worst, he begins a frantic search, growing increasingly anxious until finding, or thinking he finds, the boy safe and unharmed. Themes include parental love, isolation, nature and survival, trust, anxiety, fear, illusion, death. More…
The Rocking-Horse Winner
This tragic story by D. H. Lawrence is about a boy whose parents seem more interested in their social position than their children. The only adults who have time for the boy are an uncle and the family’s young gardener, both of whom are passionate followers of horseracing. The boy desperately wants his mother’s love and approval. As she is constantly complaining about not having enough money, he comes up with an unusual approach to winning some by betting on the races. Themes include family/parental responsibility, materialism and appearances, greed, selfishness, “luck” vs. hard work. More…
The Magic Shop
This delightful fantasy from H. G. Wells is about ‘magic’ and perception. A father and son enter a strange Magic Shop. As they begin to look around, the shopkeeper appears and entertains them with some ‘magic’. The innocent boy watches in awe, while his skeptical father looks for the sources of trickery. The pair moves further into the store and witness additional, seemingly impossible wonders. The father, realizing that what he sees may be real, becomes increasingly uncomfortable and begins to suspect the presence of unnatural forces. Themes: childhood innocence and wonder, father-son relationships, trickery vs. the supernatural. More…
The Night Face Up
In this story by Julio Cortázar, a man hospitalized after a motorcycle accident drifts in and out between the “present” and a “dream” in which he is a member of an ancient tribe being hunted by Aztec warriors for sacrifice. As he struggles to stay awake in his hospital ward, his dream-self is captured, imprisoned, and carried up the temple steps for execution. At the moment of death, he recalls a dream about riding through an astonishing city on an enormous metal insect that whirred away between his legs. Themes include time and space (parallel worlds), existence, dreams vs. reality. More…
The Sentimentalists
In this story by Morley Callaghan two young men, one a law student, are shopping in a department store when they notice a store detective watching three women at the stocking counter. There was a stout, well-dressed older woman, a lanky schoolgirl, and a demure “girl next door” type. They bet on which one the detective is watching and, after two move away, the lawyer moves in and saves the guilty party. Unfortunately, all he gets for his trouble is a kick in the shins. Themes include petty crime, stereotyping, desperation, hope, insensitivity, betrayal. More…
Homecoming
This story by Carlos Bulosan highlights one of the terrible side effects of the mass immigration of Filipino men and boys to America in the first half of last Century. In the story, a young man who had immigrated at fifteen returns home after twelve years. Following a tearful reunion, he is devastated to learn the family is destitute. His father is dead, his mother too frail to get around, and one of his sisters has had to prostitute herself. Even worse, there is nothing he can do to help! Themes include failure, reunion, poverty, desperation, despair, shame. More…
The Mystery of the Missing Cap
It is evident from Babu Virkishore’s absurd ministerial title that this Manoj Das story is a political satire. The comment about the cap’s disappearance being a deep-rooted conspiracy with possible devastating political effects suggests that it is a “Nehru topi” (pictured above). The main themes, comically highlighted when Jhandoo the monkey tries on the cap and then hands it back to the bemused Minister are: 1) many officials of the day weren’t ready to govern; and 2) the general population was too poorly educated and reverent towards those in power to see this. Other themes: innocence, elitism, hubris, honesty, disillusionment. More…
Gloria’s Saturday
The message of this tragic love story by Mario Benedetti is to treasure the time you have with your loved ones because life can be cut short at any time. The story is told in the form of a narrative written by a husband sitting in an all-night vigil at the bedside of his critically ill wife. Intending to share it with her when she survives, he expresses regret over how they allowed their busy lifestyles to hinder their ability to spend quality time together. Themes include fear, love, mortality, work-life balance, grief, regret. More…
The Book of Sand
This story by Jorge Borges deals with one of the author’s common themes… the infinite. In this case, a book lover exchanges a rare edition of the bible for a book that can’t be understood. It is in a strange language and has an endless number of randomly changing pages. He becomes obsessed with discovering the book’s secrets and, when he fails, concludes that it is so “monstrous” that it should be hidden away somewhere it will never be found. Other themes include spirituality, the power of books, obsession (the need to understand), fear. More…
Suspicion
Although Dorothy Sayers is best known for her mystery stories featuring amateur sleuths Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg, this story features neither. Real estate agent Harold Mummery fears for his ailing wife. Police are hunting for a cook suspected to have poisoned several of her employers. His wife has recently hired a new cook, someone has been tampering with the arsenic-based weed killer in his garden shed, and he is beginning to feel ill. When a chemist identifies arsenic in some hot chocolate the new cook prepared, he rushes home. Themes: fear, suspicion, deception and betrayal, appearance vs. reality. More…
Redemption
The fact that this story mirrors a similar event in author John Gardner’s childhood lends credibility to the feelings and emotions portrayed. When a twelve-year-old boy kills his seven-year-old brother in a horrific farm accident, he and his family are devastated. His father falls apart, womanizing and disappearing for days at a time, while his mother and five-year-old sister grieve privately, putting their faith in God. The boy, knowing the accident was preventable, relives it every day and even gets to the point of considering suicide. Themes: grief, religion, community, guilt, art (in this case music) as a redemptive force. More…
Bears Discover Fire
This story from Terry Bisson includes several important themes. Although bears may be thousands of years behind man in discovering fire, they are portrayed as being well ahead of us in terms of consideration, compassion, sharing and inclusiveness. The major theme is the effect of our modern lifestyle on families. Sixty-one-year-old Bobby does his best for his dying mother who, with only the TV for company at her nursing home, has given up on life. His brother is too busy “ministering” and selling real-estate to make time for her, or even pay attention to the needs of his growing son. More…
By the Waters of Babylon
Although published well before the atomic age, this story from Stephen Benét provides a remarkable description of a post-apocalyptic world devastated by weapons of mass destruction. Survivors lead a primitive existence. Modern religious beliefs have been replaced by reverence for the “gods” who built (and whose spirits still live in) destroyed buildings. Pointedly, elitism, prejudice and warfare still exist. Priests maintain their status by keeping healing and other knowledge to themselves, and there is constant fighting between the protagonist’s Hill People and the supposedly “ignorant” Forest People. Themes: superstition, destiny, search for knowledge, class, prejudice, warfare, danger of modern weaponry. More…
The Man with the Light
In this story by José Eduardo Agualusa, an itinerant Russian has been traveling remote areas of Angola for over forty years, entertaining villagers with a pedal-powered projector and old films. During one of the country’s many civil wars, his Russian heritage brings him to the attention of authorities. From a hiding place, he watches in horror as the soldiers sent to find him savagely beat and rape innocent bystanders. He talks his way out of arrest, but loses his treasured projector. In desperation, he turns to “James Dean” for help. Themes include aging, brutality, fear, abuse of power, despair. More…
The Star
In Arthur C. Clarke’s The Star, a manned spaceship travels to the edge of the galaxy to explore a nebula (cloud of interstellar gas) surrounding a collapsed star. Within the nebula is a burnt out planet that miraculously survived the explosion. On the planet is a huge stone marker left by a highly advanced civilization that did not survive. Under the marker, buried deep inside the planet, is a vault containing the civilization’s secrets. Among these is a disturbing discovery that challenges our traditional concepts of God. Themes: religious faith, science vs. religion, humankind as the center of the universe. More…
The Gift of the Magi
Have you ever thought long and hard about what would be the prefect Christmas gift for someone you love? This story by O. Henry is one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time. It tells how a poor couple each sell their most valuable possession in order to buy a Christmas present that they feel is good enough for the one they love. The irony is that neither can use the precious gift the other has bought them. Themes (see analysis) include love, sacrifice, wisdom, beauty, generosity, and value. More…
The Interlopers
This story by H. H. Munro (aka Saki) has perhaps the shortest surprise ending of all: a single word that comprises the last line of the story. Two families have been feuding for years over the use of a poor piece of forest land. When the heads of the families find themselves trapped under a fallen tree, they realize how silly they have been and promise to be friends for life. Sadly, just as they are looking forward to a more peaceful future, some unexpected visitors spoil it all. Themes: greed, pride, inherited hatred, man vs. nature, social class. More…