This story by Harlan Ellison takes a satirical look at the way people can become slaves to time. In a future dystopian world, everyone and everything must be on time. The Master Timekeeper (aka the Ticktockman) is responsible for policing this. He has a special power: if someone is late to work or causes something to be delayed, that person has the lost time deducted from their lifespan. Only one man stands against him: a disruptive rebel who calls himself the Harlequin. Themes include totalitarianism, obsession with timeliness and productivity, misused technology, social regimentation, individualism, the futility of individual revolt. More…
Gloria’s Saturday
The message of this tragic love story by Mario Benedetti is to treasure the time you have with your loved ones because life can be cut short at any time. The story is told in the form of a narrative written by a husband sitting in an all-night vigil at the bedside of his critically ill wife. Intending to share it with her when she survives, he expresses regret over how they allowed their busy lifestyles to hinder their ability to spend quality time together. Themes include fear, love, mortality, work-life balance, grief, regret. More…
Amnesty
A major theme of this story by Nadine Gordimer, and the reason it is still relevant today, is the need for grass roots involvement in the struggle for justice. A young South African woman whose unionist husband is imprisoned for five years comes to appreciate the need for people at all levels to join hands in resisting oppression. Although the exploitation of poorly educated indigenous laborers depicted in the story has greatly diminished, injustice in many other forms is still rampant throughout the world. Other themes: racism, the right to protest, the importance of learning, love, loneliness, dedication, change. More…
The Subliminal Man
This 1963 story from J. G. Ballard envisions a dystopian future where people’s lives are conditioned by subliminal messages disseminated through advertising billboards and the mass media. The hidden messages, which appear to be officially sanctioned ‘to stimulate the economy’, compel people to buy things they don’t need or replace perfectly good recent purchases. Ominously, the major products involved are linked to powerful monopolies. The story is a biting satire of (then) modern advertising and its contribution to the post-war consumerism and rising household debt levels of the 1950s. Themes: conspiracy, technology, advertising, consumerism, debt, dehumanization (loss of free will). More…
Désirée’s Baby
Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby reflects the culture of America’s ‘Deep South’ in the mid-1800s. The name Désirée originates from the French word for desire. Armand Aubigny, a young plantation owner who is proud, bigoted and harsh on his slaves, marries the orphaned Désirée for her beauty. He is not concerned about her unknown background until she has a mixed-race baby. His reaction causes Désirée to run from the house and flee with the baby into the bayou. Some weeks later, Armand uncovers an even more devastating secret. Themes (see below) include love, impulsiveness, racism, elitism, shame and/or vindictiveness, and identity. More…