Novelette by Herman Melville. A lawyer shows remarkable tolerance and compassion towards a disturbed scrivener (scribe). The man suffers from depression. Feeling alone in the world and lacking a meaning or purpose in life, his coping mechanisms are self-isolation, lack of communication and passive resistance to his duties at work.
Novelette by Guy de Maupassant. The interactions between a prostitute and other coach passengers fleeing the Franco-Prussian War prove that no matter what shows of kindness or sacrifices people of the lower classes make, they are unlikely to be treated with respect and dignity by those of higher social standing.
Grade 3-4 Story by Enid Blyton. A man with no money decides that selling his pet pig is a better idea than getting a job. However, his forgetfulness causes problems in taking the pig to market. When he finally does get it there, he receives a beating for his trouble.
Novelette by Peter Taylor. A teenaged girl develops a phobia about the town drunk after her mother dies and she is left to grow up in a (drinking) male-dominated household. An encounter with the drunk leaves her isolated and in fear of the masculine world.
Short Story by Katherine Mansfield. A wealthy family enjoy an ostentatious garden party in the spacious grounds of their mansion, well aware that the father of a poverty-stricken family living within hearing distance died earlier the same day. Only one family member is sensitive to the poor family’s plight.