This story by Eric Arthur Blair (aka George Orwell) is a narrative essay providing an eyewitness account of an execution in 1920s Burma. By describing only what happens and not telling us the prisoner’s crime, Orwell supports the thesis that capital punishment cannot be justified under any circumstances. He cleverly uses irony to support his case, the most notable instance being the revelation that the jail official in charge of the hanging is a doctor. The narrator’s moment of enlightenment comes when the prisoner encounters a puddle of water on the path to the gallows. More…
Her Hands That Held the Stars
This story by Rebecca Birch for Cricket Magazine takes place in a future world where people live in tall towers and the air is so polluted that they cannot see stars through their windows. The only way to see them is to get above the “eversmog” by standing on top of one of the towers. This is so dangerous that it requires a special key. A disobedient but determined twelve-year-old “borrows” one of these keys. While gazing at the stars in awe, she learns that she has a special destiny. Themes: the wonder of nature, environmental degradation, courage, ambition, destiny. More…
A Handful of Dates
This story by Sudanese author Tayeb Salih is about a young boy’s relationship with his grandfather. They were initially very close, and the boy idolized the old man. In a “coming of age” event, the boy realizes that his grandfather has become rich and powerful by taking advantage of the misfortune of others. The boy feels especially bad for a neighbor who has lost most of his land to his grandfather. His grandfather is determined to own the rest of the land, and is part of a group of moneylenders who take away most of the neighbor’s annual date harvest. More…
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
A major theme of this story by James Thurber is escapism (in this case taking charge of one’s life through fantasy). Walter Mitty, a meek, blundering man who leads a mundane suburban life is perhaps the world’s best-known daydreamer. Constantly humiliated by his dominating, nagging wife and others he encounters in the community, his way of compensating is to escape into exciting, imaginary worlds. There, he acts out fantasies in which he is the opposite of his real self, performing wondrous feats and bravely facing all kinds of danger. Other themes: identity, self-respect, masculinity, gender roles. More…
The Living
In this story by Mary Lavin, a boy challenges a younger friend to visit a wake to “know” a corpse for the first time The dead man, who had been intellectually challenged since birth, had never had contact with children. The boys agree when his mother invites them to pray over the body, but flee when she asks them to stroke it. The encounter with death not only brings the younger boy closer to his parents but also highlights the grim significance of his family’s nightly prayer. Themes include bravado, death, family, the precious and capricious nature of life. More…