Only an author as creative as Ursula Le Guin could conceive a story where the protagonist is a ‘murderous’ roadside oak tree. A major theme is change. As the road develops from a bridle trail to a tarred highway, the tree laments differences in the environment (birds are fewer, and the wind’s foul) and human behavior, comparing modern passers-by to beetles always rushing about and never looking up. Another theme is perspective. The tree cannot move and has no concept of life after death. To make sense of the world, it comes up with alternative interpretations of relativity and eternity. More…
The Snob
In this story by Morley Callaghan, a young man shopping with a new girlfriend shames his poorly dressed father by not acknowledging him when they find themselves close to each other in a department store. The girl’s family are more affluent and sophisticated than his, and he is self-conscious about the difference. Ironically, although he is guilty of snobbery in ignoring his father, his anger at himself over having done so causes him to lose his temper and wrongfully accuse the girl of being a snob. Themes include identity, class, judgement by appearances, shame, guilt, hypocrisy. More…
Amnesty
A major theme of this story by Nadine Gordimer, and the reason it is still relevant today, is the need for grass roots involvement in the struggle for justice. A young South African woman whose unionist husband is imprisoned for five years comes to appreciate the need for people at all levels to join hands in resisting oppression. Although the exploitation of poorly educated indigenous laborers depicted in the story has greatly diminished, injustice in many other forms is still rampant throughout the world. Other themes: racism, the right to protest, the importance of learning, love, loneliness, dedication, change. More…
House Taken Over
Said to be Julio Cortázar’s first published story, this suspenseful tale is about a middle-aged brother and sister who, having never married, live quiet but contented lives in their aging family mansion. One night, their solitude is interrupted by strange noises coming from a disused wing of the house. The brother locks and bolts the door leading to that part of the house. Unfortunately, the title foreshadows the final outcome. The brother and sister know the identity of the intruders (referred to only as “they”), but this is not shared with the reader. Themes: the idle rich, isolation, fear, change. More…
Bullet in the Brain
This Tobias Wolff story features a protagonist who is so unlikable that it seems a relief when a bank robber silences him. Sarcastic to the point of being obnoxious, Anders provides some humorous moments (Love the comment about The Killers!) before getting the richly deserved Bullet in the Brain. Unlike Bierce’s Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, where the protagonist enjoys an uplifting moment-of-death experience, Anders re-lives a childhood baseball game. The highlights of his life were the simple pleasures of youth (such as enjoying the musical quality of a strange accent), before losing his innocence to conceit, disillusionment and cynicism. More…