Like many Flannery O’Connor stories, the main theme of Parker’s Back is man’s struggle against religion. The main character here is a simple minded, poorly educated farm worker. He is selfish, doesn’t believe in God, and says he hates his wife. His one love is tattoos, which he believes express his manhood. Through his last tattoo, he finds grace. Unfortunately, his fundamentalist wife spoils the experience. In doing so, she may well have ruined both of their lives. Other themes: identity, connection (with the tattooed man), dissatisfaction, alcoholism, religious awakening, grace, religious bigotry. More…
Circular Ruins
In this story by Jorge Borges, a mystic arrives at the overgrown, burnt-out ruins of an ancient temple. Living as an ascetic, his purpose is to “dream” a man into existence, initiate him into the riddles of the universe, and send him to inhabit another temple. Before they part, he manipulates his creation’s memory so neither he nor anyone else will know he is a spirit. Later, on the point of death, the mystic learns that he, too, is the product of a dream. Themes include philosophical idealism, dreams vs. reality, the circle of life, creation, religion and spirituality. More…
This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
In this story by Sherman Alexie a young Native-American man enlists the help of a boyhood friend he had grown away from to go on a road trip to bring back his father’s ashes. The focus of the story is the relationship between the two, and how it reflects growing individual and cultural disconnection among tribal Native-Americans. The other man’s help is not in recognition of their former friendship, but rather out of obligation for a deed of kindness once performed by the dead man. Themes include poverty, storytelling, friendship, alienation, loneliness, forgiveness, decline of Native-American culture. More…
Story in a Mirror
In this intriguing story by Ilse Aichinger, a woman’s life “flashes before her eyes” as she dies in hospital from an infection following an illegal abortion. During her death struggle she looks forward, picturing her burial, and then travells backward in time, re-living key events all the way back to her birth. An interesting concept is that the journey brings redemption… In the mirror one does everything so that it may be forgiven. For example, it becomes clear that she didn’t want the abortion, but rather was ordered to by her controlling lover. Themes include, death, time, memories, regret, redemption. More…
Born Worker
The main theme of this story by Gary Soto is that there is honor in honest hard work, and accordingly no shame in having a manual or menial job. It also deals with some common social stereotypes. On the one hand we have Jose, representing the hard-working, down-to-earth, family-oriented Mexican working class; on the other, Arnie, representing an exploitative, materialistic, entitled Mexican middle class. Soto contrasts Jose’s hard work with Arnie’s fast-talking attempts to get a “free ride”. Jose bears his sun-darkened Mexican looks proudly; Arnie prefers to claim French heritage and a “Portuguese or Armenian” complexion. More…