Set 500 years in the future, this story by Charles Beaumont envisions a dystopian world where homosexuality is the norm, heterosexuality is not only frowned upon but illegal, and children are tube-born and machine-nursed. Although the male protagonist is strongly attracted to a young woman, both struggle to deal with physical contact due to their social conditioning. As they cannot show affection in public, she disguises herself and they meet in a sleazy “men only” bar. In the end, she gets what she came for and his concerns are resolved. Themes include oppression, prejudice, sexual orientation, depravity.
The Loaded Dog
This is one of the best-known stories by Australian poet and writer, Henry Lawson. It takes place in the late 1800s and involves three men and their big, lovable retriever pup. The men are working together digging for gold and like to go fishing in their free time. When the fish stop biting, they decide to catch them by making a bomb and exploding it in the water. The pup picks up the bomb, accidentally lights the fuse as he runs past the campfire, and has great fun chasing the men around the gold fields trying to give it back. More…
Fish Cheeks
The thesis for this narrative essay by Amy Tan is expressed in the form of a prayer: For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose. The protagonist, a fourteen–year-old girl, is uncomfortable with her Chinese looks and what others might think of her family’s Chinese ways. She is especially concerned because her would-be boyfriend Robert and his church minister father have been invited for Christmas dinner. After watching on in embarrassment as they sit through the meal of traditional Chinese delicacies, she receives some wise life advice from her mother. More…
The Necessary Grace to Fall
In this story by Gina Ochsner, an investigative assistant in the claims department of a life insurance company finds himself bored by both the routine of the job and his marriage. He compensates by taking a morbid interest in the unusual causes of death he encounters, and becomes obsessed with learning more about a woman from his childhood neighborhood who jumped/fell from a bridge. While sitting on a ledge of the same bridge trying to imagine her motivation and feelings, he has an epiphany that may change his life. Themes include alienation, guilt, death, suicide, obsession, redemption, hope. More…
Marjorie Daw
The major theme of this story by Thomas Aldrich is how well-intentioned deception can lead to unexpected results. A wealthy, self-absorbed young man has difficulty adjusting to being confined to a sofa with a broken leg. His doctor asks the man’s best friend, who is holidaying near the sea with his sick father, to write frequently in order to “distract and cheer him up”. The friend complies, beginning with an innocent white lie about the beautiful girl living across the road. Unfortunately, as is often the case, one lie leads to another and soon the distraction grows into an obsession. More…