In this story by Dina Nayeri a willful, “middle-aged” Iranian-American woman whose life has fallen apart in the United States joins the Peace Corps and is posted to a small village in Northern Thailand. After exploring some of her experiences settling in, the story moves to a visit by her estranged daughter. The mother is a shameless liar and had even lied about the accommodation they would be sharing… a steamy hut with a squat toilet! Needless to say, the visit doesn’t last long. Themes include community life, culture clash, isolation, social conventions, mother-daughter relationships, identity, truthfulness, resistance, perseverance. More…
A Pilgrim Yankee’s Progress
Set shorty after Philippine liberation at the end of World War 2, this rather intense story by Nick Joaquin deals with the uneasy relationship between a Filipino family recovering from the trauma of the war and an American soldier visiting the grave of an uncle who died during the Spanish-American War. The major theme is cultural relativism: how misunderstandings can arise when people of different races and upbringings interpret events purely from their own cultural perspective or expectations. Both parties fall for this trap. Other themes include connections between past and present, colonialism, Puritanical idealism, self-reflection and awareness. More…
The Shawl / Rosa
Today we are featuring two award-winning stories from Cynthia Ozick. The first, The Shawl, is set in Second World War Poland and deals with the horrors of the holocaust as experienced a young mother (Rosa), her infant child (Magda), and fourteen-year-old-niece (Stella). The second story, Rosa, is a sequel to the first. Set in the USA over thirty years later, it demonstrates the devastating long-term effects of the women’s war-time experiences. More…
Going Fishing
This story from Norma Fox Mazer describes the emotional stress of a plus-sized senior high-schooler having trouble finding her place in the world. Ignored by boys and feeling patronized by her normal-sized family, she fantasizes about a white light that will lead her to where she can be as big and strong and loud as she was born, as she naturally is. In the meantime, she finds solace in casting out her line and watching it break through the glassy sheen of the reservoir. Themes: physical appearance, inclusiveness, alienation/loneliness, sexuality, identity, finding peace in nature. More…
Melvin in the Sixth Grade
The major theme of this story by Dana Johnson is maintaining one’s identity vs. the desire to “fit in”. A sixth grade girl is having trouble settling in at a new school. The only African-American in class, she is ostracized and made fun of because of her race and appearance. Her only friend is Melvin, a strange-looking boy from Oklahoma she describes as “my beautiful alien from Planet Cowboy”. Melvin appears proud of his identity. She is so desperate to be accepted by the others that, when forced to choose, she forsakes him. Other themes: racism, bullying, appearance, friendship, betrayal. More…