Featured Stories

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: Short story by Gabriel García MárquezThe major themes of this story by Gabriel García Márquez are doubt, cruelty and greed, and common reactions to those who appear strange or “different”. The treatment of the out of sorts angel and “spider girl” evoke genuine pathos and carry allusions to how some countries lock up refugees in miserable conditions and the likes of Joseph Merrick (the deformed gentleman paraded around 19th century England as The Elephant Man). The only uplifting moment comes when the innocent child climbs through a hole in the old man’s cage to play with him. Other themes include suffering, religion and the supernatural.

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The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses

The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses: Short story by Bessie HeadThis story from Bessie Head is about a group of political prisoners who unite to survive the harsh South African penal system. Physically, the main character (Brille) is the weakest of the span of ten prisoners. This is reflected in his build, his clumsiness, and his poor eyesight. Brille compensates for these weaknesses with strength of character and insight. A beating from a warder helps him see that he entered politics for the wrong reason; it also shows him a way to manipulate the warder to improve things for the whole span. His glasses symbolize both weakness and perceptiveness.

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The Fall of Edward Barnard

The Fall of Edward Barnard: Short story by W. Somerset MaughamAlthough ostensibly themed around a clash of cultures (East vs. West), this story from W. Somerset Maugham is also about alternative lifestyles (materialistic vs. minimalist). Through extensive use of irony, the story contrasts the lust for money, power and status of American industrialists and socialites with the Tahitian way of living in harmony with nature. In presenting the contrast, the story implies that although the environment a person grows up in shapes their values and beliefs, a change of surroundings can drastically alter them. Other themes: friendship, loyalty, romance, pride, racism.

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The Egg

The Egg: Short story by Sherwood AndersonThis dark comedy from Sherwood Anderson follows a contented farmhand and his ambitious wife who, after starting a family, decide to pursue the American Dream. In their first venture, a chicken farm, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. More troubles follow when they move closer to town and open a diner. The stressed husband tries to help business by being someone he is not (an entertainer), and ends up “with egg on his face”. The egg, which usually symbolizes the cycle of life, is for them a symbol of the cycle of poverty. Other themes: death, isolation, hope.

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A Defenseless Creature

A Defenseless Creature: Short story by Anton ChekhovIn addition to his tales highlighting serious issues such as poverty, class, death and unfulfilled expectations, Anton Chekhov wrote dozens of comic short stories to support himself through medical school. In this story, a persistent, shrew-like woman wears down a sickly banker. The exasperated man finally pays money the woman claims is owing to her husband out of his own pocket, even though the alleged debt has nothing to do with his bank. Despite the woman repeatedly describing herself as such, readers are left wondering if the harried banker is the titular “defenseless creature”. Themes: bureaucracy, communication, desperation, persistence.

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Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come To You, My Lad

Oh, Whistle and I'll Come To You, My Lad: Short story by M. R. JamesIn this story by M. R. James, a colleague asks a young university professor to scope out some monastic ruins for a possible archaeological dig while away on a golfing holiday. As he investigates the area near what would have been the altar, he finds an artificial cavity in the masonry that contains an ancient bronze whistle with strange inscriptions. He was originally unhappy that the only available room in his hotel had two beds but this proves fortunate, providing the terrifying personage he “whistles up” a place to spend the night. Themes include fear, agnosticism, the supernatural.

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The Wedding Reception

The Wedding Reception: Short story by Nyi Pu LayMajor themes of this story by Nyi Pu Lay are tradition (realistically portraying aspects of a working-class Mandalay wedding), and caring and respect for the aged at both a family and community level. The groom’s father is seriously ill and his son, his new wife, and others (including the grumpy owner of the only TV in the neighborhood) go to great lengths to ensure that he has an enjoyable day. Other themes include family, friendship, community, and the wonder of adults and children alike experiencing “modern” technology for the first time (in this case a car ride and watching TV).

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Daughter of Invention

Daughter of Invention: Short story by Julia AlvarezThis entertaining story from Julia Alvarez begins by relating how a mother spends her limited free time trying to realize the Great American Dream by inventing improved household gadgets. Conflict arises over her daughter Yolanda’s inspired but controversial Teacher’s Day speech. Her father, whose family suffered bloody repression in his home country, ironically tears up the speech and demands a traditional, more respectful approach. His subsequent “make-up” gift of a typewriter symbolizes that the family “inventor” role has passed on to literary-minded Yolanda. Major themes: family relationships, cultural adjustment, freedom of expression, empowerment of women, pursuit of dreams.

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