In this story by R. K. Narayan, a doctor renowned for telling patients the truth, even if the news is bad, faces a dilemma. A seriously ill close friend asks for a prognosis, saying that if he is dying he must finalize his will to protect his wife and children. The doctor doesn’t think he will survive the night, and is concerned that the shock of hearing this will kill him. He must choose between telling the truth, or lying to give is friend hope and a small chance of survival. Themes include truthfulness, friendship, faith, hope, choices and consequences. More…
Why Had I Left Home?
This extract from Carlos Bulosan’s semi-autobiographical novel America Is in the Heart relates how, as a young man, he immigrated to America to start a new life. Upon arrival, he falls victim of a Filipino scammer and earns just $13 for three months’ work in an Alaskan canning factory. Later, he witnesses violence and death in a “Filipino” dance hall, and experiences camaraderie, friendship, and a racist gang attack on an apple farm. He must have asked himself several times: “Why Had I Left Home?” Themes include expectations vs. reality, exploitation, friendship, violence, racism, resilience, perseverance. More…
Flowers and Freckle Cream
The protagonist in this story by Elizabeth Ellis is a twelve-year-old girl. Although set in the American backwoods around seventy years ago, hundreds of millions of men, women and children today share her desire to change their complexion or body shape to one considered more attractive by their peers. Major themes of the story are being comfortable with how you look and, as symbolized by the flowers, beauty comes in many shapes and forms. Minor themes are thoughtlessness (the mother’s comment ”You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”) and the wisdom that comes with advancing age. More…
You Were Perfectly Fine
This entertaining “morning after” story by Dorothy Parker describes an embarrassed young man’s reactions as he tries to piece together what happened the night before. The beauty of the story is that, depending on how the reader interprets the dialogue, it can be taken several ways. One is that the woman is exaggerating or even making up events to teach the man a lesson. Another is that the events are true but she is playing them down because she wants to believe something he said during the cab ride home. Themes include alcohol abuse, memory, relationships, guilt, happiness and regret. More…
The Five-Forty-Eight
This story by John Cheever puts into perspective the plight of women in the workplace before the terms sexual harassment and unfair dismissal were coined. A disdainful, misogynistic businessman takes advantage of the attentions and weakness of a new secretary, then immediately has her fired. Six months later the woman, who appears mentally unstable, confronts him with a gun and avenges herself by humiliating the vile man. Sadly, although the woman’s actions may have helped her in regaining her self-respect, they seem to have little effect on the man. Themes include alienation/isolation, family, power, narcissism, misogyny, sexuality, revenge, mental illness. More…