Published in 1948, Khushwant Singh’s moving tribute to his grandmother was the first story of his long and distinguished writing career. The story spans a period of twenty years, from Singh’s earliest memories of the “so terribly old but always beautiful” woman, to her peaceful passing in almost surreal circumstances. He recalls their close friendship during his early schooling, the “turning point” when they moved to live with his parents in the city, and their growing estrangement as Western influences and higher education demands came between them. Themes: grandmother-grandson relationship (love, devotion), generation gap (education, culture), piety, change. More…
A Worn Path
In this Eudora Welty story, an aged woman makes a long, dangerous trek through the Mississippi woods. Its power lies in the vivid descriptions of nature and the various obstacles she encounters. Once in town, she struggles to remember the purpose of the journey. Although we learn later that she has come for the regular medicine needed by her ailing grandson, many readers question if the boy still lives. Her confusion suggests that such visits may simply be a way of handling the grief (or guilt) associated with his death. Themes: nature, old age, perseverance, duty, poverty, dignity, racism, redemption. More…
Two Words
In this story by Isabel Allende a young woman has become famous, traveling an unnamed South American country by foot delivering news, storytelling, writing letters for people, and selling “secret” words that have magical powers. One day, a feared bandit/rebel leader forces her to write a motivating political speech to help him become president. On departing, she whispers two words in his ear. The speech is such a success he becomes the favorite to win the election. However, obsessed by the meaning of her two words, he withdraws into himself. Themes include hardship, courage and determination, loneliness, the power of words. More…
The Final Problem / Empty House
Today we have two stories by Arthur Conan Doyle dealing with the “death” and “rebirth” of Sherlock Holmes. In The Final Problem, Holmes has his first and last encounter with master criminal and his intellectual equal, Professor James Moriarty. After a pursuit across Europe, the pair are believed to have perished when they tumbled off the Reichenbach Falls during a struggle. In the Adventure of the Empty House, Holmes miraculously returns to bring three remaining members of Moriarty’s criminal network to justice. In capturing the first, he solves an important murder investigation. Themes include justice, pursuit, deception, courage, sacrifice, death. More…
The Verb to Kill
In this story by Luisa Valenzuela, a pubescent girl in an isolated seaside community spends a lot of time fantasizing with her sister over the imaginary depraved, murderous activities of a seemingly harmless recluse living nearby. The additional conjugations of “to kill” at the end of the story suggest the girls may have taken matters into their own hands. A major theme is the danger of judging someone based on their looks or eccentric behaviour. Other themes include gender inequality and violence in society, imagination, egocentrism, paranoia, dehumanization (of both the man and their “friend” Pocha), superstition. More…