Featured Stories

This Blessed House

This Blessed House: Short story by Jhumpa LahiriThe major theme of this Jhumpa Lahiri story is the personality clashes that can arise in hasty or arranged marriages. Sanjeev is a conservative, up-and-coming corporate engineer. “Twinkle”, his free-spirited, scatty wife is completing her master’s thesis in poetry. They have known each other for only four months, and both are used to getting their own way. A battle of wills arises over the fate of several Christian items left by the former occupants of their new house. The key questions: Who will win, and will the marriage survive? Other themes: love, cultural adjustment (male dominance vs. shared decision-making), understanding/tolerance.

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The Pardon of Becky Day

The Pardon of Becky Day: Short story by John Fox, Jr.A motif of this classic Western by John Fox, Jr. could well be the scheming nature of women. A neighbor misled the community as to Becky’s virtue to win her boyfriend Jim’s heart; both women manipulate the men around them to maintain their “honor”; a missionary uses the threat of a deathbed curse to force the reluctant neighbor to seek Becky’s forgiveness; and, based on the smile on Becky’s face when she dies, her words of forgiveness may have been feigned to make sure that she will “git thar” [where Jim is] first. Themes: deception, hate, lawless violence, forgiveness, superstition.

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The Wife’s Story

The Wife's Story: Short story by Ursula Le GuinIn addition to its themes of love, trust, family and perception, this Ursula Le Guin story carries two important messages. The first is that we are often so blinded by our love for someone that we fail to notice subtle hints that may indicate flaws or emerging problems in their character. The second is that there are always two sides to every interaction between sentient beings. To many humans, wolves are wild, dangerous predators to be shot on sight. To wolves, man is a feared aggressor who all too often attacks and kills them for living as nature intended.

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A Day in the Dark

A Day in the Dark: Short story by Elizabeth BowenIn this story by Elizabeth Bowen, a woman recalls when, as a fifteen-year-old girl “platonically” in love with her uncle, she was forced to re-examine their relationship. The source of her concern were snide comments by an old woman the uncle had fallen into talk with, which caused her to think that their comings and goings were the subject of town gossip. A feature of the story is the ambiguity as to the true feelings between the main characters, and the reason for the uncle’s clandestine visit to a hotel. Themes include innocence and experience, sexual awareness, deception, guilt, rumour.

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The Machine Stops

The Machine Stops: Short story by E. M. ForsterThis Science Fiction classic by E. M. Forster explores the role of “the machine” in the rise and fall of a future dystopian civilization. After developing the machine the population grow dependent upon it, become controlled by it, worship it, and are ultimately destroyed by it. In the process, they regress in terms of human interaction, family relationships, physical strength, critical thinking ability and free will. Only the “homeless”, who have no access to the machine, survive. The major theme is the danger of over-reliance on and losing control of technology. Other themes: environmental degradation, religious faith, freedom, rebellion.

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The Baby (The First Thing the Baby Did Wrong)

The Baby (The First Thing the Baby Did Wrong): Short story by Donald BarthelmeThis story by Donald Barthelme may be confronting for some readers because it appears to make light of an example of child abuse. Through exaggeration and humor, Barthelme leads us to his central theme: the coming of a baby can change the whole dynamics of family relationships. Most parents like to think that they are the ones in control. However, all too often they find themselves dancing to their child’s tune. By the end of the story, this baby has totally turned the tables. Some might even say that it has been guilty of a form of parental abuse!

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The Beautiful People

The Beautiful People: Short story by Charles BeaumontThe dystopian civilization envisioned in this Charles Beaumont story has eliminated many of today’s “distractions” such as food preparation, books and even the need for sleep. It has also specified uniform male and female appearances to be adopted by undergoing a “Transformation” (operation) upon turning nineteen. A brave girl resists the change, not only putting her job and family’s social position at risk, but also threatening social stability. As she is frog-marched to the operating theater, she realizes the sinister purpose of Transformation… to remove the population’s sense of individual identity. Themes: identity, body shaming, scientific “advancement”, superficial beauty, conformity.

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Patriotism

Patriotism: Short story by Yukio MishimaThis gut-wrenching tale from Yukio Mishima deals with traditional Japanese perceptions of duty, honor, love and ritual suicide. Regarded as one of the most powerful stories of the twentieth century, it is beautifully (almost lovingly) written and does not spare the easily offended or queasy reader. The lovemaking scenes are tastefully erotic, and the description of Lieutenant Shinji’s seppuku (harakiri) is gruesome in its detail. A major theme is loyalty: to one’s country (Emperor), friends, family honor, and spouse. Another is beauty: of youth, of love, of life and (perhaps difficult for many Westerners to understand) of an honorable death.

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