Dead Men’s Path

Post category:Quick Reads

Dead Men's Path: Short story by Chinua Achebe The major theme of this story by Chinua Achebe is cultural clash, as reflected in the reformist zeal of a new headmaster who objects to local villagers walking through school grounds to access a path that is important to their animist beliefs. Set in a rural Nigerian mission school, the story takes place in 1949 when the country was still under British rule. It is ironic that, being Nigerian, the young headmaster failed to grasp the seriousness of the villagers’ concerns, whereas his “white Supervisor” seems to immediately understand the situation. Other themes include colonialism, tradition, superstition, pride, arrogance, retribution.

Heart of Darkness

Post category:Novellas

Heart of Darkness: Short story by Joseph Conrad This story by Joseph Conrad is told through the eyes of a riverboat captain sent into the heart of Africa to contact an enigmatic trading post manager employing questionable methods. It explores the concept of Darkness on several levels. At the highest, we have the ‘darkness’ of unexplored Africa, and the ‘darkness’ of European imperialism in seeking to subjugate its peoples and exploit its resources. On a more fundamental level, we have the potential ‘darkness’ (capacity for cruelty/evil) in the heart of every man. Themes include alienation and loneliness, power, moral and mental degeneration under colonialism, racism, cruelty, greed, exploitation.

The Soul is Not a Smithy

Post category:Novellas

The Soul is Not a Smithy: Novella by David Foster Wallace In this story by David Foster Wallace, a man looks back to a day when, as a “slow” nine-year-old student, he daydreamed his way through a Civics class by making up stories based on visual clues he saw while staring out the window. Oblivious to the growing panic of classmates as a deranged substitute teacher wrote KILL, KILL THEM, KILL THEM ALL repeatedly on the chalkboard, he remained sitting after the other students fled. A major theme is fear of disappointment and lack of fulfilment in adult life. Other themes include childhood trauma, violence, pain and loss, time, memory, death.

The Secret Sharer

Post category:Novelettes

The Secret Sharer: Short story by Joseph Conrad The term secret sharer in this Joseph Conrad adventure could apply to both the protagonist (a young ship’s captain preparing for his first sea command) and his fugitive cabin guest. The similarities between them in terms of age, appearance and background suggest that Conrad is using the guest as a foil to highlight the captain’s strengths and weaknesses. Unlike the guest, the captain is unsure of himself and does not project the self-confidence and authority needed to gain the respect of his older, more experienced officers. Themes include leadership, isolation, identity, duality, self-awareness, self-mastery, and the power of the sea.

The Cheater’s Guide to Love

Post category:Novelettes

The Cheater’s Guide to Love: Short story by Junot Diaz It is hard to like or feel any sympathy for the American-raised Dominican Harvard professor at the centre of this story by Junot Diaz. The serial cheater who slept with fifty other women over the course of their six-year relationship belatedly realizes that the fiancé who dumped him was “the one”. Over the next six years he struggles to deal with the consequences of losing her while facing performance issues at work, debilitating physical conditions, and constant racial taunts and profiling. Themes include love vs. desire, infidelity and its consequences, heartbreak, depression and recovery, self-awareness and redemption, racism.

Night

Post category:Short Stories

Night: Short story by Tatyana Tolstaya In this heart-wrenching story by Tatyana Tolstaya, an impoverished eighty-year-old woman struggles to cope with task of looking after her middle-aged, severely retarded son. The man is dependent on his mother’s directions to get him through the day. He has virtually no social skills, is confused about women, and is prone to violent outbursts and extreme behaviour when things don’t go his way. The story begs but does not answer the question: What will happen when his mother is no longer around to take care of him? Themes: love and devotion, mental health, alienation, poverty, fear, dreams and fantasy.

The Censors

Post category:Quick Reads

The Censors: Short story by Luisa Valenzuela Written during the early days of Argentina’s Videla dictatorship, this story by Luisa Valenzuela satirizes the use of censorship in limiting free speech. A man worried that government censors may misinterpret an innocent letter he wrote to a woman in Paris gets a job at the censorship office to recover it. Ironically, he becomes so immersed in the job that his values change to embrace censorship. His dedication results in promotion to a top position and, when his letter finally reaches him, he dutifully censors it, bringing about his own downfall. Themes include censorship, oppression, paranoia, love, alienation, identity, duty.

The Age of Lead

Post category:Short Stories

The Age of Lead: Short story by Margaret Atwood In this story by Margaret Atwood, a frozen 150-year-old body buried in the permafrost provides a lesson for the living. The story uses the solution to mystery cause of death of members of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition to highlight the dangers of consumerism and modern technology such as soil and water pollution, toxic waste and acid rain. The issues are brought home in the parallel story involving the the protagonist’s frustrating relationship with her eccentric, possibly gay lifetime friend who dies of an unknown viral infection. Themes include tragedy, side effects of consumerism and technology, individuality, friendship/unfulfilled love.

Featured Stories