The themes of this distressing story from Alice Munro are being different, isolation, bullying, connection and betrayal. Myra’s family looks and dresses differently. At school, her introverted younger brother needs her constant support and protection. The other children in her class (always in groups of course!) ridicule her. For most of them, feigned acceptance comes when Myra is hospitalized with leukemia and it becomes fashionable to be seen to care. Sadly, a brief period of connection with the narrator ends with a decision to discard what may have been Myra’s last ever gift More…
One Day
In this story by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, a timid Norwegian teenager becomes infatuated with an older villager whose voice moves her to tears at a choral performance. In his absence overseas, she is wooed by and finally marries a handsome sea captain. Within five years, she has two children and lives in fear of her dominating, hard drinking husband’s homecomings. She is enlivened when her teenage idol returns and is a regular visitor. They become close, but her hopes are crushed when, on a special outing together, he reveals his true self. Themes include unrequited love, obsession, loveless marriage, alcoholism, heartache. 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…
Mother and Daughter
In this story from Gary Soto, the close relationship between a struggling single mother and her eighth-grade daughter is tested by a wardrobe malfunction at a school dance. Mrs. Moreno is a flamboyant, hard-working, devoted mother. Her daughter Yollie appears genuinely appreciative of her mother’s efforts and understanding of their financial position. After fleeing the fall dance to avoid embarrassment, Yollie directs her frustration and anger toward her mother. It is Mrs Moreno, not Yollie, who cries herself to sleep that night. The themes: motherly love and the hurt that can be caused by a single thoughtless action. More…
The Dunwich Horror
In this cosmic horror story by H. P. Lovecraft, an early 19th century practitioner of the black arts summons an “Elder Thing” from another dimension to mate with his daughter. The result is an unusual set of twins. One has enough human characteristics to allow it to function in society. The other, which takes more after its father, is an invisible monster the size of a house, intent on destroying life on earth and moving the planet to the “Other Side”. Themes include the occult, madness, fear, heroism, realms beyond human understanding, the potential transient nature of humanity. More…