Willa Cather’s ‘Paul’ is not your average high schooler. Whatever it is that makes him different (interpretations vary from sexuality to autism or some kind of nervous condition) is causing problems in both his school and home lives. The things that keep Paul going are his daydreams of one day living the life of the rich and famous, and his love of music and the theatre. When the latter two are taken away, he decides on drastic action (or is it all another daydream?). Themes: being ‘different’, alienation, fantasy vs. reality, rebellion, deception/fraud, living the dream, despair. More…
Gooseberries
For me, the major theme of this philosophical story by Anton Chekhov (the nature of happiness) is conveyed through the symbolization of the plateful of gooseberries. This can be expressed in two seemingly conflicting idioms: one man’s (Ivan’s brother’s) sweet taste of success can leave a sour taste in someone else’s mouth. Put Chekhov’s way, complete happiness shouldn’t exist because it requires contributing to and/or being indifferent to the suffering of others; true fulfillment in life only comes from doing good. Other themes: obsession, greed, ego, class, isolation, mortality, city vs. country life, the beauty of nature. More…
The People Could Fly
Reinterpreted folktales that include events from recorded history play an important part in cultural renewal by helping later generations relate to their heritage. This African-American example from Virginia Hamilton packs a lot into just 1200 words. Its major themes are slavery, cruelty, suffering, Free-dom, and hope. Freedom comes when Toby’s magic words rekindle the forgotten ability of some slaves to fly. For readers not into the supernatural, flying could also be a metaphor for running away or even death. Hope comes in Toby’s call to those left behind to wait for their chance to run. More…
Babylon Revisited
The protagonist in this bittersweet story from F. Scott Fitzgerald is in the process of rebuilding his life after losing everything in the aftermath of the 1929 stock market cash. Along with many other Americans caught up in the hedonistic 1920s Paris lifestyle, he had partied hard and drank to excess. When his wife died as he was recovering in a sanitarium, he was forced to give up custody of his then seven-year-old daughter. Two years later, he is determined to win her back. Themes: alcohol abuse and reform, wealth and poverty, fatherly love, self-discipline, alienation, guilt and regret, hope. More…
The Dead
The major themes in this James Joyce masterpiece are failure to change (paralysis) and, of course, death and “the dead”. Other themes include Irish Nationalism, cultural identity, tradition, privilege, pride, and self-discovery. Gabriel, a condescending Irish intellectual, has rejected his country’s entrenched “backward” culture and embraced cosmopolitan British ways. His wife’s reaction to a little-known Irish folk-song sung by her long-dead first love brings about an epiphany. Gabriel suddenly realizes the need to take more positive steps in his own life, and how the lives of the dead can have a major influence on the living. More…