In this story from Aimee Bender, a man who is so sad about the world that he laments thinking about it has a wish come true. For no apparent reason he begins to experience reverse evolution, shedding millions of years a day. He regresses into an ape, then a sea turtle, and finally a small salamander, which his lover frees into the ocean. All she has left is her memories of him, which she clings to because if he’s not here, it’s her job to remember. Themes include overthinking and emotional detachment, love and caregiving, loss and remembrance. More…
The Key
The major messages of this story by Isaac Bashevis Singer are that there is a lot of kindness in the world for those who open their hearts to it, and to live life to the fullest. An elderly widow who has lived alone for almost twenty years has become a recluse. With no family or friends, she distrusts everyone and lives in poverty despite having a fortune hidden in her house. A broken key that causes her to spend a night on the streets is her “key” to understanding and redemption. Themes include ageing, isolation and loneliness, paranoia, redemption. More…
An Astrologer’s Day
The “astrologer” in this story by R. K. Narayan is a fake, making a living by knowing enough about human nature to trick people into believing he has mystical powers. One day, he bargains with a reluctant passer-by to answer a question for many times his usual fee. He tries to cancel the reading immediately the passer-by sits down, but the man forcibly insists he continues. Although a deliberate lie, his answer not only eases the tormented man’s mind, but also brings in peace and redemption to himself. Themes include deception, fate, crime and punishment, revenge, redemption, spirituality, greed. More…
The (Diamond) Necklace
This Guy de Maupassant story is about a beautiful woman who is unhappy with her situation in life. She has a loving husband with a secure government job, and they have enough money to hire a girl to do the harder housework. Sadly, she sees him as just a “little” clerk and dreams of being admired by richer and more important men. An invitation to a ball and loss of a borrowed necklace teach her how lucky she was, and what it means to be very poor. Themes include appearance vs. reality, class, discontent, vanity, pride, sacrifice, and suffering. More…
A Shocking Accident
Graham Greene’s short stories span many genres, from the serious to the farcical. In this comedy, a boy rationalizes his widowed father’s long absences from home by convincing himself that he is a mysterious adventurer. In reality, his father is a restless author whose unlikely death in an Italian “street accident” becomes an embarrassment the lad must carry into adulthood. Things change when he falls in love with a woman who shares a similar concern for the fate of animals. Themes: father-son relationships, perception, the unpredictability of life/death, communicating bad news, fear of ridicule. More…