Broken Chain

Broken Chain: Short story by Gary SotoThe major lesson of this story from Gary Soto is that what someone is like on the inside is more important than his or her looks. An insecure seventh-grader is obsessed with his appearance (teeth, V-cut abs, hairstyle and clothes). His outlook on relationships changes when an act of kindness results in a bike-riding “date” with a girl. When his bicycle chain breaks, it looks like the date will be a disaster. Fortunately, his older brother comes to the rescue and the boy experiences his first touch of “love”. Themes: identity vs. appearance, sibling rivalry (jealousy) / brotherly love, courage.

Continue ReadingBroken Chain

The Vane Sisters

The Vane Sisters: Short story by Vladimir NabokovReaders often need to re-visit this Vladimir Nabokov story several times to grasp the nuances of the plot. The major characters are the haughty, misogynistic, first-person (and therefore unreliable) narrator and two sisters, one of whom strongly believes in the occult. Like other Nabokov stories, secret codes are involved. The acrostic message hidden in the final paragraph leaves readers wondering how much of the story came from the spirits of the then dead sisters. Themes include unfulfilled love, death, mourning, and interconnections (between memory and imagination, past and present, the real and spiritual worlds).

Continue ReadingThe Vane Sisters

The Nightingale

The Nightingale: Children's story by H. C. AndersenIn this story by Hans Christian Andersen, a nightingale living near the palace of the Chinese Emperor sings so beautifully that it becomes famous all over the world. The Emperor loves the nightingale’s song so much that he makes a home for it in the palace. One day the Japanese Emperor sends him a mechanical bird covered in jewels that can sing as well as the nightingale. He replaces the live bird with the mechanical one, and does not come to appreciate the love of the real nightingale until close to death. Themes: artificial vs. natural beauty, friendship, betrayal, loyalty.

Continue ReadingThe Nightingale

Hands

Hands: Short story by Sherwood AndersonSherwood 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.

Continue ReadingHands

The Voter

The Voter: Short story by Chinua AchebeThis story by Chinua Achebe uses irony to highlight vote-buying in Nigerian village elections. A sitting politician’s wealth and lifestyle have improved dramatically since being elected. To retain his place at the trough, he appoints a group of canvassers to bribe influential villagers. His most trusted canvasser faces a dilemma, He is offered an unheard-of bribe to vote for the opposition, provided he swears on a talisman that will bring ill-fortune if he doesn’t do so. He takes the money, and creatively finds a way to avoid being disloyal to either party. Themes include corruption, politics, vote-buying, superstition, loyalty.

Continue ReadingThe Voter

Master Jacob

Master Jacob: Short story by Howard PyleThe story by Howard Pyle is similar to the “trickster” narratives found in many folktales. Three greedy community leaders (a priest, a provost, and the town mayor) decide to trick an unsuspecting farmer out of a fat pig (or is it a dog?) he is taking to market. Later, the sly farmer turns the tables with three tricks of his own. For his last trick, he tells them the truth! The tricksters woe their foolishness at the bottom of a deep pit, and the farmer ends up with a lot of their money. Themes: greed, cleverness, revenge, distrust.

Continue ReadingMaster Jacob

The Totara Tree

The Totara Tree: Short story by Roderick FinlaysonThis light-hearted story from Roderick Finlayson is set in 1930’s New Zealand. A small Maori community is in conflict with the Pakeha (white European) authorities who plan to cut down a sacred tree to build new power lines. An old woman climbs the tree and refuses to come down. After an initial confrontation, the authorities depart for the night. This leads to a drunken celebration, which causes a house-fire that threatens the tree. When rescuers discover that the old woman in the tree has died, one of them comes up with a foolproof plan to save the tree.

Continue ReadingThe Totara Tree

A Vendetta

A Vendetta: Short story by Guy de MaupassantThe French writer Guy de Maupassant is said to be one of the fathers of the modern short story. This story is about an old widow who lives in a small village in Southern Italy with her only son and his dog. One evening, the son is murdered. The mother is so saddened by this that she swears a vendetta against the killer. Every day, she sits by the window and wonders how she, a weak old woman with no one to help her, can carry out her promise. Finally, she comes up with an idea and has her revenge.

Continue ReadingA Vendetta

The Horse Dealer’s Daughter

The Horse Dealer's Daughter: Short story by D. H. LawrenceAt a simplistic level, this story by D. H. Lawrence can be looked upon as a traditional love story. However, with Lawrence’s reputation as a writer who explores human nature through psychological insight and sexual descriptions, it is highly unlikely he would write a story with such a straightforward message. Alternate interpretations include: 1) a tale in which a desperate, calculating woman tries to seduce a vulnerable man; and 2) a religious fantasy in which a near-death experience results in an epiphany that awakens feelings of love and desire. Themes include family relationships, patriarchy, misogyny, despair, death, rebirth, passion.

Continue ReadingThe Horse Dealer’s Daughter

Apollo

Apollo: Short story by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe major themes of this story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are aging, parent-child relationships, class, sexuality, jealousy and betrayal. A young Nigerian man is reminded of a time when, thanks to a shared interest in martial arts, he had bonded with one of his family’s houseboys (Raphael). Despite their differences in age and social class, the two spent hours practicing moves and mock fighting whenever his parents were away. For the boy, the relationship changes when Raphael contracts Apollo (conjunctivitis) and is confined to his room. Later, jealousy leads to betrayal with dire consequences for poor Raphael’s future.

Continue ReadingApollo