In this famous gothic horror story by Ambrose Bierce, a rich man has a loving wife who he does not trust. He sets a trap that doesn’t go as planned, resulting in him accidentally killing her. The unfortunate woman’s ghost, which is unaware who killed her, tries to contact him. This sets off a chain of events that ruins the lives of both the rich man and their only son. We hear the story from three perspectives: those of the son, a man we assume to be the husband/killer, and the ghost herself as told through a medium. More…
In the Shadow of War
In this story by Ben Okri, a boy becomes curious about a mysterious woman who walks through his village every day wearing a black veil. Set during the Nigerian Civil War, other children think she is a witch; three soldiers looking for her think she is a spy. The soldiers follow the woman into a forest, as does the boy. Sufficient ambiguity exists for readers to question whether the horrific events described in the forest really take place, or if the woman is indeed a spy or simply a kindly benefactor. Themes include loyalty and morality in war, brutality, humanity. More…
Snapshots of a Wedding
Set in the mid-1990s, this story by Bessie Head explores two aspects of a Botswanan wedding. The first is the rituals observed at the event and how, as a “modern wedding”, a lot of the traditional courtesies had been left out of the planning. The second is the circumstances leading up to the wedding, with the author seemingly inviting readers to judge whether the groom, who is rich in cattle and loved and respected by all who knew him, made the right choice for a bride. Themes: tradition vs. modernity, marriage, education, hubris vs. humility, money and status vs. love. More…
Defender of the Faith
This story by Philip Roth raises questions about the conflict between integrity and loyalty to one’s community group. A Jewish-American army sergeant returning from the European battlefields towards the end of World War 2 is assigned to a training unit in which there is an entitled Jewish recruit. The recruit exploits their common heritage, scheming, lying and manipulating the sergeant to receive special treatment. When the self-serving recruit goes behind the sergeant’s back to avoid serving in the Pacific, he is quickly put in his place. Themes include identity, integrity, “Jewishness”, antisemitism, manipulation. More…
A Ride Out of Phrao
In this story by Dina Nayeri a willful, “middle-aged” Iranian-American woman whose life has fallen apart in the United States joins the Peace Corps and is posted to a small village in Northern Thailand. After exploring some of her experiences settling in, the story moves to a visit by her estranged daughter. The mother is a shameless liar and had even lied about the accommodation they would be sharing… a steamy hut with a squat toilet! Needless to say, the visit doesn’t last long. Themes include community life, culture clash, isolation, social conventions, mother-daughter relationships, identity, truthfulness, resistance, perseverance. More…