Like the titular pie, life is sweet for a professor and his cab-driving older brother. The themes in this heart-warming Eugenia Collier story (poverty, family, sacrifice, education and gratitude) lie in how the two got where they are. A close-knit family works together to survive poverty, with the older children caring for the young and leaving school as soon as possible. The family can afford for only one child (the professor) to complete his education. Although his brother proudly hails him as a “somebody”, it is clear that their childhood experiences have helped both make successes of their lives. More…
Mrs. Bathurst
A major theme of this enigmatic story by Rudyard Kipling is the potential destructive power of love. Interestingly, we never meet the two central characters: Mrs. Bathurst, a New Zealand hotel keeper renowned for her kindness to needy sailors, and “Click” Vickery, a naval warrant officer who once had a serious affair with her. Vickery becomes so obsessed with a cinematograph clip in a traveling circus showing Mrs. Bathurst in London that he deserts his ship and follows the circus to the next town. Other themes include alienation, chance and accident, ambiguity, passion, death and guilt. More…
Letter to a Young Lady in Paris
This surreal story by Julio Cortázar is in the form of a letter from an Argentinean man to a friend who has allowed him to stay in her apartment while she is visiting Paris. His concerns about disrupting the compact order of her rooms become a reality when, on the point of moving in, he vomits up a tiny rabbit. This is normally an occasional occurrence, but ten more bunnies pop out over the following weeks. As they grow and begin to trash the place, he contemplates drastic action. Themes include phobia (about moving), obsession (with orderliness), depression, alienation, despair. More…
A Horse in the Moon
This story by Luigi Pirandello opens with a wedding feast in which guests are concerned for the innocent, vivacious Italian bride. Although wealthy, the Sicilian groom appears physically and mentally ill. After seeing the guests off, the groom tries to hurry his new wife inside. She objects and, while heading towards the nearby village, they come across a dying horse. On seeing his reaction, she realizes the marriage was a mistake. A medical episode and vision he has as the moon rises behind the horse solves the problem for her. Themes include naivety, marriage, madness, suffering, compassion, death, culture clash. More…
The Salt Inspector / Namak Ka Daroga
This parable by Premchand about an incorruptible Indian tax inspector ends with a moral dilemma. The idealistic young man refuses a huge bribe and arrests a wealthy zamindar (land baron) for smuggling salt. Because of his “connections”, the zamindar walks free and the inspector is suspended for being over-zealous. Shortly afterwards, the clever zamindar offers the young man a highly-paid job overseeing his properties. He seems happy to cheat the government, but needs someone honest to stop people cheating him. The young man’s dilemma: should he work for such a person? Themes include individual and systemic corruption, integrity, moral compromise. More…