This coming of age story by Pearl S. Buck tells how doing something special to show how much you love someone can be the greatest gift of all. An old man wakes early one Christmas morning and remembers another Christmas when, as a boy, he first understood how much his father loved him. He decided that the cheap tie he had bought was not good enough, and came up with another gift they both remember for the rest of their lives. He realizes that love alone awakens love and decides to give the gift again. Themes: nostalgia, love, family, giving. More…
Why Don’t You Dance?
This minimalist story from Raymond Carver captures a brief encounter between a middle-aged man holding a yard sale and a young couple interested in buying furniture. We learn very little about the man other than that he was once in a relationship, is selling almost everything he owns, and probably drinks too much. The man offers the couple whiskey, puts on some music, and suggests that they dance. Carver leaves it to the reader to interpret what happens next. All we know is that the girl is troubled by it for weeks. Possible themes: alcoholism, loneliness, despair, compassion, connection, confusion. More…
Ahoy, Sailor Boy!
This story by A. E. Coppard takes a light-hearted look at death and what comes after. Following a discussion in an English pub about death and divine retribution, an off-duty sailor unsuccessfully tries to solicit an attractive ghost in a park. The woman’s sin was vanity, as represented by a huge collection of expensive clothing. In order to obtain redemption, she must re-wear and discard every item in the collection. She is wearing the last outfit, and the sailor eagerly watches as she undresses for the last time. Themes include death and the afterlife, vanity, sexuality, kindness, redemption, the supernatural. More…
Wandering Willie’s Tale
Warning, this story by Sir Walter Scott can be hard going for inexperienced readers due to its use of original dialect and obsolete vocabulary. When a violent Scottish Lord presses a tenant for long outstanding rent, the man borrows the money and returns to pay it. The Lord dies as he hands it over, and the money disappears during the commotion. The Lord’s son doesn’t believe the rent was paid, and demands payment. A mysterious stranger helps the devastated tenant by accompanying him to hell to collect a receipt. Themes: changing times, the supernatural, beware who you travel with. More…
A Dead Woman’s Secret
We get a sense at the beginning of this Guy de Maupassant story that the dead woman lying peacefully in her bed may not have led as ‘saintly’ a life as is described. She has been hiding something from her family for most of her life. When going through some old letters, her son and daughter discover the secret. The son, a sanctimonious magistrate, judges her harshly. The daughter, who has devoted herself to the Church, says nothing but may harbor a secret of her own. Themes: things are not always as they seem, passion, adultery, rash judgement, hypocrisy, forgiveness More…