In this story by Hernando Téllez, a barber who secretly supports a revolutionary cause has a dilemma when an army captain who is particularly brutal in putting down the revolt asks for a shave. As the officer sits in the chair, the barber is torn between his professional duty (to give his customer the best possible shave), his revolutionary duty (to kill the captain, which will make him a hero but potentially force him to hide for the rest of his life), and moral qualms about murder. Themes include power and control, choices and consequences, violence, professionalism, duty, morality, trust. More…
Gombei and the Wild Ducks
In this Japanese folktale retold by Yoshiko Uchida, a man who had made a good living by snaring one wild duck a day with a long piece of rope decides that life would be easier if he were to trap a hundred at a time and relax for the next ninety-nine days. He learns a lesson that changes his life when, having caught ninety-nine ducks, they suddenly take flight, pulling him into the sky with them. The messages of the story are respect for nature (take only what you need), and the consequences of greed and laziness. More…
Last Day at School
This very short story describes the feelings of a teacher on the last day of a school year. It is clear from the story that the teacher cares greatly for his students. Grades have been sent home and the long holiday is about to begin. For the teacher, it is an especially memorable day. As well as being the end of the school year, he is leaving teaching and moving on to a different career. Last Day at School was written by Italian teacher-turned-journalist Giovanni Mosca, and presumably talks about his own feelings on leaving teaching in 1936. More…
Adam and Eve and Pinch Me
In one of A. E. Coppard’s more enigmatic stories, a confused man finds himself unable to open the doors in his house or communicate with his three children or servants. The inference is that he is dead and doesn’t know it. Relief comes when he awakens from a daydream with his wife beside him. However, he has a different identity and the third child featured in the dream, who had special powers, has not yet been born. Themes include the convergence of reality and fantasy, death, family, frustration, anger, precognition, identity. More…
The Scarlet Ibis
This tragic story from James Hurst contrasts the innocent outlook of a physically challenged boy with the pride and cruelty of his older brother. It is as if the older boy has two younger brothers: the imaginative storyteller that he clearly loves, and the disabled boy he is ashamed to be associated with. In an effort to mould Doodle to meet his expectations, he pushes the poor lad to a point where his heart can no longer bear the strain. Themes: the beauty and power of nature, acceptance vs. desire to change others, love vs. shame, cruelty, death, regret. More…