Featured Stories

A Tiger in the House

A Tiger in the House: Short story by Ruskin BondIn this story by Ruskin Bond, an old man finds what appears to be an orphan tiger cub in the jungle and takes it home as a family pet. After six months, the cub grows out of its ‘playful’ stage and starts to become less friendly. The old man donates the tiger to a zoo, and gets an unexpected surprise when he visits it six months later. The story raises serious questions about the man’s two decisions (to take the tiger cub home, and to give the grown animal to a zoo where there are no others of its kind).

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The Answer is No

The Answer is No: Short story by Naguib MahfouzThis story explores the dilemma of a teacher who, having been raped by a trusted tutor at fourteen years of age, must face the attacker again as her school’s new headmaster. She refuses to cower before the man, and manages to maintain her dignity and self-respect through two encounters. Naguib Mahfouz is one of the few Islamic writers with the reputation to be able to not only successfully take on such a confronting issue, but also present it from an openly feminist perspective. Themes: abuse of trust, sexual assault, strength of character, courage, empowerment.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Short story by Washington IrvingThe central character of this story by Washington Irving is a greedy city schoolmaster who moves to a school in a sleepy country town and sets about getting rich by marrying the daughter of a wealthy landowner. The teacher’s proposal is rejected, and he disappears one night after being chased by the “ghost” of a headless horseman. Major themes include storytelling (tall-tales), superstition, greed (Ichabod), fickleness (Katrina), ambiguity (in relation to both the horseman’s identity and Ichabod’s fate), and city vs. country perceptions (conniving sophistication vs. integrity and practicality).

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The Subliminal Man

The Subliminal Man: Short story by J. G. BallardThis 1963 story from J. G. Ballard envisions a dystopian future where people’s lives are conditioned by subliminal messages disseminated through advertising billboards and the mass media. The hidden messages, which appear to be officially sanctioned ‘to stimulate the economy’, compel people to buy things they don’t need or replace perfectly good recent purchases. Ominously, the major products involved are linked to powerful monopolies. The story is a biting satire of (then) modern advertising and its contribution to the post-war consumerism and rising household debt levels of the 1950s. Themes: conspiracy, technology, advertising, consumerism, debt, dehumanization (loss of free will).

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Barn Burning

Barn Burning: Short story by William FaulknerBarn Burning by William Faulkner is a story of how a ten-year-old boy rises above the intimidation and bullying of his embittered father. The father’s simmering anger stems from jealousy and lack of respect, fueled by an exploitative sharecropping system that keeps tenant families like his in perpetual poverty. He seeks retribution through senseless acts of arson (barn burning) against landholders he believes have slighted him. The boy, sensing the immorality of his father’s actions, has the courage to rebel and do something about it. Themes: family, class, alienation, exploitation, pride, anger, revenge, loyalty vs. morality, courage, betrayal.

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The Blues I’m Playing

The Blues I'm Playing: Short story by Langston HughesThis story from Langston Hughes contrasts two women with very different outlooks on life. A wealthy, white, middle-aged widow finds purpose and intimacy through the patronization of young artists. Tensions emerge when the woman, who expects her protégés to behave in a manner consistent with her high social standing, takes on a black pianist for the first time. The talented, independent, working class young woman has her own ideas on life, love, and the music she wants to play. Themes: art, paternalism vs. independence, race and racism, sexuality, the significance and transforming power of music.

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Henne Fire

Henne Fire: Short story by Isaac Bashevis SingerSet in pre-World War 1 Poland, this story by Isaac Bashevis Singer explores how a small Jewish community interacts with a seemingly deranged woman who the narrator describes as not a human being but a fire from Gehenna [hell]. Her abusive behaviour forces her family to flee their home and, in keeping with the biblical analogy, small fires tend to pop up around her wherever she lives. A major theme of the story is community, reflected in the support she receives despite her offensive behaviour and the fire risk to neighbors. Other themes include madness, fear, alcohol abuse, the supernatural.

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The Centaur

The Centaur: Short story by José SaramagoA major theme of this story by José Saramago is fear of those who are fundamentally “different”. Other themes include duality, modernity, wilderness encroachment, loneliness, isolation and identity. A mythical Centaur survives into the 20th century. The only one of its kind still living, it has wandered the wilderness for thousands of years. Unfortunately, humanity is expanding and it has become increasingly difficult to avoid contact. A fascinating feature of the story is the interdependence between the centaur’s horse and human sides. Both have different needs, which often require compromise. There are some human needs, however, that can’t be met.

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