As in an earlier Margaret Atwood story, The Age of Lead, The Bog Man revolves around a long-dead body. A university student’s hero worship of her archaeology professor leads to a torrid affair during which she accompanies him as his ‘assistant’ to inspect a 2,000-year-old body preserved in a Scottish peat bog. As his invisible wife comes between them, she feels “cheap and furtive”. Recognizing his shallowness, she ends the relationship. Like the bog man, over the years he becomes flatter and more leathery, as life goes out of him in her mind. Themes include infatuation, sexual exploitation, desire, guilt, empowerment. More…
Beggar My Neighbor
In this story by Dan Jacobson, a white South African boy is confronted by the cruel realities of racism when a charitable decision to give food to two black street children gets out of hand. As the children approach him with increasing frequency, his attitude towards them changes from pity and condescension to contempt and hatred. In an epiphany that comes in a dream, he realizes that they hate him just as much as he does them, and simply want to be treated with dignity. Themes include poverty, compassion, vanity, fantasy, social class, racism, humanity. More…
Charles
Most readers see Laurie, the subject of this Shirley Jackson story, as a naughty boy who tries to gain attention in kindergarten by misbehaving. He creates an alter ego named Charles to tell his parents what happens at school and later, to explain getting home late. However, there is an equally possible alternative interpretation. Laurie may have behaved quite normally at school and created an imaginary naughty classmate to gain attention at the dinner table. Both are consistent with the teacher’s vague assessment of Laurie. Either way, themes include behavior, identity, the desire for attention, deception, ambiguity. More…
Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push
There are two “dreams” in this inspirational story by W. D. Myers. The first is a father’s dream that his son follow in his footsteps and become a competitive basketball player; the second is the boy’s dream to be able to overcome his disability and return to the game. The “pushes” come when the boy is invited to join a wheelchair team, and the father overcomes his feelings of guilt and decides to help the team. Themes: guilt, courage, maintaining a positive attitude, family, father-son bonding, team spirit, how trying and doing one’s best is more important than winning. More…
Désirée’s Baby
Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby reflects the culture of America’s ‘Deep South’ in the mid-1800s. The name Désirée originates from the French word for desire. Armand Aubigny, a young plantation owner who is proud, bigoted and harsh on his slaves, marries the orphaned Désirée for her beauty. He is not concerned about her unknown background until she has a mixed-race baby. His reaction causes Désirée to run from the house and flee with the baby into the bayou. Some weeks later, Armand uncovers an even more devastating secret. Themes (see below) include love, impulsiveness, racism, elitism, shame and/or vindictiveness, and identity. More…