In this story by Ben Okri, a boy becomes curious about a mysterious woman who walks through his village every day wearing a black veil. Set during the Nigerian Civil War, other children think she is a witch; three soldiers looking for her think she is a spy. The soldiers follow the woman into a forest, as does the boy. Sufficient ambiguity exists for readers to question whether the horrific events described in the forest really take place, or if the woman is indeed a spy or simply a kindly benefactor. Themes include loyalty and morality in war, brutality, humanity. More…
The Garden Party
Because of the complex issues raised, this is one of Katherine Mansfield’s most highly acclaimed stories. A wealthy family enjoy an ostentatious garden party in the spacious grounds of their mansion, fully aware that the father of a poverty-stricken family living within hearing distance died in an accident earlier the same day. Only one family member (a teen-aged girl) is sensitive to the poor family’s plight. She visits the house to offer condolences, and experiences an epiphany when unexpectedly ushered in to view the body. Themes include social class (class-consciousness, pretention, insensitivity towards others), poverty, innocence, humanity, coming of age. More…
After the Ball / Dance
The major themes of this story from Leo Tolstoy are the circumstances that determine “good” and “evil”, and the morality of blaming a child for the actions of his/her father. The protagonist is captivated by a beautiful woman. They attend an elegant ball, where he is impressed by the demeanor of her father, a senior military officer. His feelings change the next morning when he witnesses the father officiating at the brutal punishment of a deserting soldier. Other themes: romance, judging by appearances, point of view (cruelty vs. duty), class, moral indignation vs. naivety. More…
The Direction of the Road
Only an author as creative as Ursula Le Guin could conceive a story where the protagonist is a ‘murderous’ roadside oak tree. A major theme is change. As the road develops from a bridle trail to a tarred highway, the tree laments differences in the environment (birds are fewer, and the wind’s foul) and human behavior, comparing modern passers-by to beetles always rushing about and never looking up. Another theme is perspective. The tree cannot move and has no concept of life after death. To make sense of the world, it comes up with alternative interpretations of relativity and eternity. More…
Why I Learned to Cook
In this story by Sara Farizan, a bisexual Iranian-American teen makes her grandmother’s day by asking her to teach her to cook Persian food. Her request has an ulterior motive… to introduce the grandmother to her girlfriend. The teen had come out to her parents twelve months earlier, and her girlfriend felt left out by not being included in family dinners with her grandmother. Over dinner, the observant grandmother guesses the true nature of the girls’ relationship. Themes include family, love, sexuality, insecurity, fear of rejection vs. pride in who you are, acceptance. More…