If you read Virginia Woolf‘s A Haunted House expecting it to be a horror story, you will come away disappointed. Rather than scary, the best word I can think of to describe it is bittersweet. Sweet because two ghosts are still very much in love after hundreds of years; sad because the ghostly couple appear to be anxiously searching for something. Although the central theme of the story is the immortality of love, it also carries the message that life is short, and we should treasure each moment with those we love. Other themes include loss, time, memories, the supernatural. More…
Town and Country Lovers
Although the South African law banning sexual intercourse between “whites” and “non-whites” was repealed in 1985 (five years after Nadine Gordimer wrote this story), inter-racial and inter-religious relationships are still frowned upon in some cultures. Moreover, as in the story, the consequences for women are often much more severe than for men. Despite the obvious affection between the two couples in the story, questions arise as to whether for the men the sex was a function of convenience rather than love, and the extent to which the women initially felt pressured into participating. Themes: forbidden love, sexual coercion, unequal consequences. More…
A January Night / Poos Ki Raat
This story by Premchand highlights the plight of tenant farmers in pre-Independence India. In the Hindu calendar, the month of Poos (mid-December to mid-January) marks the beginning of winter. A farmer, forced to pay his debts with money he had saved to buy a blanket, watches over his crops one night in freezing temperatures. With his loyal dog beside him, he manages to survive the night. Unfortunately, his crops do not. His wife is devastated, but he is happy. Themes include the powerlessness and exploitation of tenant farmers, poverty, struggle, the harshness of nature, resilience. More…
April in Paris
The central theme of this Ursula Le Guin story is the alienation and loneliness brought about by obsession with work and lack of companionship. A 15th century French scientist, frustrated with being unable to prove a theory he had developed, decides his work is a waste of time. He experiments with black magic and is surprised when his first spell is a success, allowing him to teleport kindred spirits from the past and future to join him. Those who come are so happy in his reality that they have no desire to return. Other themes: the occult, connection. More…
The End of the Party
Although the 9-year-old twins in this Graham Greene story look the same, they have very different psychological dispositions. The first-born (Peter) is self-confident and has a special connection with his brother. The younger (Francis) has an anxiety disorder that results in unreasoning fear, particularly of the dark. Peter feels what Francis feels, and is fiercely protective of him. Despite their best efforts to avoid it, the two attend a birthday party that will include a game of hide-and-seek in the dark. During the game, a thoughtless act by Peter has tragic results. Themes: innocence, brotherhood, connection, fear, adult insensitivity, death. More…