Through humor and irony, this story by Oscar Wilde shows how an act of kindness can sometimes change one’s life. Handsome, well-spoken and adored by everyone who knows him, Hughie Erskine can’t seem to make a success of life. To marry the woman he loves, he needs to show her father that he has the impossible amount (for him) of £10,000 to his name. A chance visit to an artist friend and the generous gift of his last sovereign to a beggar he was painting solves his problem. Themes include appearance vs. reality, compassion and kindness, selflessness, generosity, karma. More…
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
This story by Sherman Alexie highlights the difficulty tribal Native-Americans have assimilating into American society. A Spokane Indian recalls his breakup with a white kindergarten teacher he loved. Their relationship was one of constant fights and arguments, often over his excessive drinking. Tortured by violent dreams, he returned to the community of the reservation. After several idle months he once again finds work in the outside world, where a call from his ex-girlfriend suggests they still have feelings for one another but are too afraid to pursue them. Themes include community vs. isolation, prejudice, alcohol abuse, love and hatred. More…
Terrapin
This story by Patricia Highsmith involves a psychologically disturbed woman who cannot face the prospect of her eleven-year-old son “growing up”. The poor boy faces humiliation and bullying at school by having to wear tight, much younger boy’s shorts and is embarrassed at home by being forced to recite children’s poetry for his mother’s guests. When she brings home a terrapin (turtle) to cook for a special dinner, he mistakes it for a pet. The terrapin’s seemingly agonising death in boiling water, including a perceived cry for help, triggers a terrifying response. Themes: child abuse, control, change, identity, escape, insanity. More…
President Cleveland, Where Are You?
This coming of age story by Robert Cormier is set in simpler times (the 1930s), where the highlight of the day for many young boys was collecting and swapping trading cards to complete a full set. There is intense rivalry between protagonist Jerry, his friend Roger, and their arch-rival Rollie. Initially it is over Cowboy cards but, when these are replaced by President cards, all the boys in their neighborhood are desperate to find the elusive President Cleveland card. Jerry is the first to find one, but doesn’t have it for long. Themes: family, friendship, choices, sacrifice. More…
Interpreter of Maladies
Interpreter of Maladies is the titular tale in Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning debut short story collection. The stories deal with different aspects of the cultural and relationship issues facing people of Indian heritage in the modern world. This story contrasts two empty marriages. The Indian protagonist (a doctor’s translator who moonlights as a tour guide) fantasizes that the wife in an Indian-American family he takes sightseeing has a romantic interest in him. Rather than love, she wants his help to find a “cure” for a foolish mistake she once made. Themes include marriage, communication, poor parenting, loss, guilt, loneliness, self-esteem. More…