Spunk

Spunk: Short story by Zora Neale HurstonIn Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk, a mild-mannered man (Joe) is killed when he bravely but foolishly confronts his cheating wife and her macho lover. The story raises some interesting questions. Did Joe act out of love for his wife, or shame because she had humiliated him? Why did he stop at a store on the way? Was he hoping the “loungers” would talk him out of going, and too weak to back down when one of them encouraged him? Finally, who or what caused Spunk to fall into the saw? Themes include love and passion, courage and fear, the supernatural.

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The Man to Send Rain Clouds

The Man to Send Rain Clouds: Short story by Leslie Marmon SilkoThis playful story by Leslie Marmon Silko illustrates how two cultures, one indigenous and very much attached to their land, the other foreign and dominant, coexist. When an aging Pueblo Native American dies tending their sheep, his people plan to give him a traditional tribal burial. They deceive a young Catholic priest, who would have insisted on a Christian ceremony, but later find they need something from him. Themes include death, tradition, adaptability (by the tribe as a means of mitigating culture clash) and flexibility (by the priest as a means of being accepted into the community).

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The Monkey’s Paw

The Monkey's Paw: Short story by W. W. JacobsToday we are bringing you The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs, one of the most famous horror stories of all time. First published in 1902, it has since appeared in many forms including live plays, movies, TV shows, radio plays, books, comics and cartoons (even a Simpsons episode!). In the story, a man makes a wish upon an enchanted monkey’s paw with disastrous results for his family. First, some advice before you start to read. Don’t do it sitting at home alone on a dark and stormy night! Themes: family, greed, tempting fate, industrialization (work safety), death, the supernatural.

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Inem

Inem: Short story by Pramoedya Ananta ToerThis story by Pramoedya Ananta Toer is set in 1930s Java. A six-year-old boy’s best friend, an eight-year-old girl, is married off to a seventeen-year-old-man. The naïve girl, who has no idea what marriage entails, is excited only because of the new clothes and make-up she will wear at the ceremony. Her family are neighbors, and for months afterward the boy is kept awake by her screams at night. A year later she is divorced, a tainted “woman” facing a miserable future. Themes include cultural tradition, innocence, friendship, child marriage, brutality, patriarchy, shame, compassion vs. social correctness.

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The Undertaker / Coffin-Maker

The Undertaker / Coffin-Maker: Short story by Alexander PushkinMany readers feel let down by this gloomy Alexander Pushkin story because of its seemingly abrupt ending. A Russian undertaker moves house to a more affluent Moscow suburb of predominantly German artisans. Invited to a neighbor’s party, he over-indulges in wine. After taking a proposed toast to his “corpses” as an insult to his profession, he threatens to have his own celebration the next day for those for whom I work: the orthodox dead. He wakes to find that his threat has become a reality. Or has it? Themes: life and death; racial, professional and religious prejudice; insecurity; unethical conduct/cheating.

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The Green Door

The Green Door: Short story by O.Henry.This story by O. Henry provides a mix of adventure, mystery, romance and humor. By day, Rudolf Steiner lives a normal life working in a piano store. At night, he walks the streets looking for adventure. One night, adventure calls in an unusual way. A man standing outside a building hands him a card containing the words: The Green Door. Rudolf goes inside and knocks on the only green door he can find, leading to a series of events that could change his life. Themes include the nature of adventure (risk vs. rewards), chance vs. fate, romance.

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Thongproi the Rich Girl

Thongproi the Rich Girl: short story by Kukrit PramojHave you ever wished you were so rich that you could have anything you want? There are two types of people in this group: those who work hard to capitalize on their good fortune, and those who live a life of indolent luxury. This story by Kukrit Pramoj is about a girl from Thailand who fits into the second category. Thongproi was spoiled from the day she was born, one of the most beautiful women in the district, and had a devoted husband in a senior government position. One would expect her to be very happy. But was she?

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Extra

Extra: Short story by Yiyun LiThis story by Yiyun Li highlights the helplessness of the working class in China’s race to modernity. A fifty-one-year-old spinster comes of age after being retrenched by a bankrupt garment factory. Her next two jobs involve “extras”, people who have been cast off by their family. First, as wife/carer to a dying old man; second, as a maid in a boarding school where she experiences love in a special friendship with a rejected six-year-old boy. In a fit of temper, the boy does something that sees her jobless again. . Themes include social change, compassion, abandonment, isolation, maternal love, survival.

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