Featured Stories

The Open Boat

The Open Boat: Short story by Stephen CraneA remarkable aspect of this story from Stephen Crane is that it is based on an actual event in the author’s life. This adds credibility to what to me is a defining feature of the story: the way that throughout the ordeal four men from such diverse backgrounds were able to maintain their self-discipline and work so well together. The Open Boat is considered a classic in the literary style called “naturalism”. Such stories deal with the unforgiving power of nature and man’s struggle for survival. Themes: man vs. nature/the sea, perspective (appearance vs. reality), courage, teamwork, survival.

Continue ReadingThe Open Boat

The Two Frogs

The Two Frogs: Japanese folktale from Andrew LangThis Japanese folktale teaches some important lessons. Two frogs from different cities set off on a journey, each wanting to visit the other’s city. They meet on a mountaintop halfway and accidentally look back at their own city, thinking it their destination. Deciding that the two cities look the same, they each return home. Possible morals: 1) If you really want to do something, learn all you can about it before you start; and 2) Don’t look for reasons to give up in the middle of something important. They are too easy to find and you may be sorry later.

Continue ReadingThe Two Frogs

The Thakur’s Well / Thakur Ka Kuan

The Thakur’s Well / Thakur Ka Kuan: Short story by PremchandThis poignant story by Premchand highlights the degrading treatment of Dalits (untouchables) under India’s caste system.A woman brings water for her sick husband from the only well in the village available to Dalits. It is contaminated and has a foul smell. She doesn’t know that boiling will purify the water, and decides that her only option is to risk a severe beating by secretly drawing water from the well of the high-caste Thakur, who forbids low-caste villagers from using it. Themes include social class, discrimination, poverty, courage, gender roles, corruption of the upper classes.

Continue ReadingThe Thakur’s Well / Thakur Ka Kuan

The Legend of Nai Raeng

The Legend of Nai Raeng: Thai folktaleThis folktale from Southern Thailand is about a man who was so big when he was born that his parents named him Nai Raeng (in Thai ‘raeng’ means strength, energy or power). The boy eats so much that his poor parents cannot feed him. They get him a job as a sailor, but the captain also cannot feed him. As Nai Raeng grows, he proves to be so wise that he gets a high government job. He is also very honourable, and one day must order that his own head be cut off and placed above a buried treasure.

Continue ReadingThe Legend of Nai Raeng

He

He: Short story by Katherine PorterThe central theme of this poignant, rather dark story from Katherine Porter is a mother’s relationship with her devoted special needs son. The woman is obsessed with appearances. Although she professes greater love for him than her other children combined, one wonders if this is out of pity or, worse, a mere show for neighbors. Similarly, are her tears as she takes the boy to the County Home the result of losing him, a sense of failure/shame as a mother, and/or (as the narrator cruelly suggests) wishing he had never been born? Other themes: struggle against poverty, family, appearances, guilt.

Continue ReadingHe

The Gioconda Smile

The Gioconda Smile: Short story by Aldous HuxleySuperficially Aldous Huxley’s Gioconda Smile is a straightforward story about a narcissistic womanizer who learns to his cost the meaning of the expression: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. On another level, it is a wonderful satire of the lavish, hedonistic lifestyles of upper-middle-class 1920s British society. The protagonist’s apparent lack of conscience may be due to his admitted psychopathy (not only did he not feel sympathy for the poor, the weak, the diseased, and deformed; he actually hated them). This raises the question: did he really deserve his fate? Themes: vanity, philandering, class, passion, murder, rejection, betrayal.

Continue ReadingThe Gioconda Smile

Proper Library

Proper Library: Short story by Carolyn FerrellIn this acclaimed story by Carolyn Ferrell a gay, academically challenged African-American boy experiencing persecution at school faces a conflict between his ambition to make something of himself and his feelings for a former lover. In addition to learning words with his mother, a highlight of the fourteen-year-old’s day is acting as surrogate “big sister” to the nine-plus younger children living in their house. The boy appears more grounded and “maternal” than most of the women in the story, many of whom are suffering major insecurity issues. Themes include family, love, sexuality, identity, gender stereotypes, alienation, responsibility, determination.

Continue ReadingProper Library

The Sea Beyond

The Sea Beyond: Short story by N. V. M. GonzalezThis story by N. V. M. Gonzalez describes a journey on a Philippine passenger-cargo ship from a small port to its provincial capital. In addition to paying passengers, the ship is transporting a young cargardor (stevedore) who was critically injured during the loading of cargo to the capital for medical treatment. Tending him are his pregnant wife and her mother. Despite a supposed telegraph request for a doctor meet the ship on arrival, as the ship departs the capital they are left stranded on the dock with no sign of help. Themes include suffering, inhumanity, social class, superstition.

Continue ReadingThe Sea Beyond