This story by S. Rajaratnam is a biting satire of the “science” of astrology. Inspired by the author’s Hindu upbringing in which those around him shared a strong belief that one’s destiny is written in the stars, he relates the tale of an Indian farmer who doubles as his village astrologer. Having charted his own stars and determined the date and time of his death, he decides to silence sceptics by inviting the whole village to witness and celebrate the event. Themes include astrology, determinism vs. free will, obsession, faith, failure (“miscalculation”), scepticism. More…
The Werewolf
This is the first of Angela Carter’s well-known “wolf tales” series. Although the beginning resembles the Red Riding Hood children’s story, things soon take a very different turn. A wolf loses a paw, grandma is missing a hand, and the villagers show their bravery by beating the poor woman to death. What I particularly like is the way that Carter uses foreshadowing and omissions in the story-line to leave readers with a question: Was the grandmother really a witch/were-woman, or was the “good child” one of those northern country people with a cold heart mentioned in the opening sentence? More…
A Work of Art
In this Anton Chekhov story the mother of a man too poor to pay for treatment sends his doctor a gift in gratitude for saving his life. There is only one problem: the gift, an antique bronze candelabra, features statuettes of two naked women in a not safe for work or home pose. The doctor passes it on as an unwelcome gift to his lawyer, who in turn donates it at a benefit for an aspiring comic actor. Unfortunately for the doctor, the actor decides to sell it. Themes include gratitude, perception (the subjectivity of art appreciation), morality, appearance, coincidence. More…
A Clean Well-Lighted Place
This story by Ernest Hemingway takes place in a cafe. Two waiters (one young, the other middle-aged) talk about an old man sitting alone at one of the tables. A line from each waiter exemplifies three major themes. From the young waiter: I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing. (attitudes towards the aged). From the older waiter: It [life] was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. (emptiness and despair). Other themes include aging and death, gender stereotyping, and the fact that money doesn’t buy happiness. More…
The Other Wife / Woman
In this vignette by French author Colette, a recently married couple visiting a restaurant chance upon the husband’s ex-wife. She is attractive, sophisticated and self-assured. Alice, the new wife, is younger, naïve, submissive and insecure. The self-centered, controlling husband cannot understand why his first wife had “difficulty” with their relationship. The new marriage, in which Alice flirtatiously plays the part of a trophy wife, appears more to his liking. Unfortunately for him, the encounter raises doubts and a question in Alice’s mind: What more did she (the ex-wife) want from him? She finds herself envying and respecting the stronger woman. More…