The major theme of this coming of age story by Morley Callaghan is motherly love and devotion. Six months into a job at a drugstore the protagonist, seemingly in his late teens, is caught pilfering goods. Rather than call the police immediately, the proprietor contacts his mother who rushes to the store and convinces the owner not to press charges. The wayward boy’s attitude to life changes when he sees the contrast between his mother’s calm, dignified manner at the drugstore and the trembling, nervous wreck she becomes at home. Other themes include petty crime, shame, empathy, guilt, personal growth. More…
The Visitor
This flash story by Lydia Davis starts with the narrator foreshadowing a visitor to his/her home who will require around the clock care and attention. The visit reminds the narrator of two similar experiences, one by a family member and the other by a friend. In both cases, healthy old men with whom they were living deteriorated physically to the point that their bodily functions collapsed and they became dependent on others for their day-to-day care and well-being. The story takes an unexpected twist in the heart-warming final paragraph, where the narrator reminds us of the circle of life. More…
Bigfoot Stole My Wife / I Am Bigfoot
Today we have two linked stories from Ron Carlson: Bigfoot Stole My Wife and I am Bigfoot. In the first, despite a host of context clues suggesting that the protagonist’s wife has left him, shame and denial lead him to believe that the legendary Bigfoot has abducted her. Using flawed logic, he argues that this must be true because another seemingly impossible event in his life was also true. The story opens with the line: “The problem is credibility.” In the ironic second story, credibility comes as Bigfoot issues a fearful warning to all men of the world. More…
There is a Reaper
The English idiom ‘Grim Reaper’ refers to either death itself, or the Angel of Death who comes to collect a soul when someone dies. This story by Charles de Vet begins with the following words: Doctors had given him just one month to live. A month to wonder, what comes afterward? There was one way to find out – ask a dead man! The question had to be asked within a few minutes of death, so he decided the only thing to do was murder someone. The murdered man’s frightening answer was not what he had expected. More…
Blow-Up
After a commentary on the role of perspective and the art of storytelling, this Julio Cortázar story goes on to describe how an amateur photographer captures an image that seemingly comes alive, rewriting its narrative. While taking the photograph (of an adolescent boy in an obviously uncomfortable discussion with an adult woman) he comes up with several possible interpretations of what is taking place and what may happen afterwards. Things take a dark turn when he realizes that a man in a nearby car is part of the narrative. Themes include storytelling, narrative perspective, speculation, obsession, artistic imagery vs. reality. More…