Readers often need to re-visit this Vladimir Nabokov story several times to grasp the nuances of the plot. The major characters are the haughty, misogynistic, first-person (and therefore unreliable) narrator and two sisters, one of whom strongly believes in the occult. Like other Nabokov stories, secret codes are involved. The acrostic message hidden in the final paragraph leaves readers wondering how much of the story came from the spirits of the then dead sisters. Themes include unfulfilled love, death, mourning, and interconnections (between memory and imagination, past and present, the real and spiritual worlds). More…
The Gift of the Magi
Have you ever thought long and hard about what would be the prefect Christmas gift for someone you love? This story by O. Henry is one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time. It tells how a poor couple each sell their most valuable possession in order to buy a Christmas present that they feel is good enough for the one they love. The irony is that neither can use the precious gift the other has bought them. Themes (see analysis) include love, sacrifice, wisdom, beauty, generosity, and value. More…
Bullet in the Brain
This Tobias Wolff story features a protagonist who is so unlikable that it seems a relief when a bank robber silences him. Sarcastic to the point of being obnoxious, Anders provides some humorous moments (Love the comment about The Killers!) before getting the richly deserved Bullet in the Brain. Unlike Bierce’s Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, where the protagonist enjoys an uplifting moment-of-death experience, Anders re-lives a childhood baseball game. The highlights of his life were the simple pleasures of youth (such as enjoying the musical quality of a strange accent), before losing his innocence to conceit, disillusionment and cynicism. More…
The Harvest
This is one of a series of stories by Tomás Rivera about Mexican-American seasonal farm workers. The harvest is over and, as a group is looking forward to returning to their home base in Texas, they begin to wonder about the unusual behaviour of one of their older members. The single man with no family walks alone into the fields each afternoon, and refuses to allow anyone to follow. Rumors circulate among younger workers that he either is hiding his wages somewhere, or has found buried treasure. Themes include materialism, ritual, spiritual connection to nature and the land. More…
Ribbons
This excerpt from Laurence Yep’s book of the same name is about three kinds of ribbons: the satin ribbons on protagonist Stacy’s ballet shoes; the silk ribbons traditionally used in Chinese foot binding; and the invisible ribbon binding grandmother, mother and daughter at the end of the story. The central theme is understanding. Already unhappy about interrupted ballet lessons and resentful of her brother’s seemingly favorable treatment, Stacy reacts angrily to her grandmother’s inexplicable rage over her ballet ribbons. Things change when she learns the old woman’s painful secret. Other themes: family, cultural adjustment, courage, passion, sacrifice, connection. More…