This story by Marjorie Barnard is set in 1930s Sydney. On the protagonist’s way home from work, friends draw his attention to a newspaper report that his wife has won first prize in a lottery. His initial reaction is to wonder “Why didn’t she contact him at work? and Where did she get the money? He later reflects on how great his wife and married life are, albeit in terms of gender norms of the day. When he gets home, his wife’s reaction to the win is not what he had expected. Themes include patriarchy, gender roles, complacency, alienation, rebellion. More…
Half a Day
This thought-provoking story from Naguib Mahfouz is an allegory of the phases and brevity of life. An old man’s nostalgic description of his first day at school triggers a stream of associated memories. He recalls completing his schooling and going on to experience friendship and love as if this all took place the same day. He then imagines setting out alone on a mystical journey “home”. Changes in the social and urban environments cause him to lose his way, and he becomes increasingly anxious to reach his destination and seek explanations (enlightenment?) from his “father”. Themes: time, memory, aging, change. More…
A Night in the Life of the Mayor
This humorous story by Manoj Das takes a satirical swipe at the abuse of power and narcissism of Indian officials. A mayor belittles his old professor for complaining about a stray cow that chewed up his granddaughter’s psychology notebooks. Karma strikes when that same cow runs off with the mayor’s half-eaten clothes and car keys as he is taking a dip in a secluded part of a river. He experiences an epiphany as he floats down the river, lying naked in a boat, after people arrive and start searching for him. Themes include ambition, power, pride, narcissism, self-discovery, redemption, regret. More…
And of Clay Are We Created
This confronting story from Isabel Allende is based on the real life plight of Omayra Sánchez, killed in a volcanic eruption in 1985. It highlights the confusion and suffering that often accompanies natural disasters, and the human and psychological tolls on both victims and responders. The irony of the story is that despite the massive resources employed by news agencies to cover the incident, they were unable to locate and bring in a pump to save the girl. Themes include man against nature, compassion, courage, faith/acceptance of fate, the healing effect of facing and sharing past tragedies. More…
The Raft
In this story from Stephen King, the last swim of the season by four college students also proves to be the last swim of their lives. On an alcohol-fuelled whim, the foursome drive to a deserted lake to swim out to a raft moored fifty yards off shore, say good-bye to summer, and then swim back. As they reach the raft, they learn to their horror that a mysterious black mass floating on the surface is stalking them for its next meal(s). Themes include teenage exuberance, machismo, chauvinism, sexuality, fear, the unknown/supernatural. More…