A cursory first reading of this story often leaves students confused. John Wideman’s innovative style involves multiple voices, some of which are not even identified, and randomly traveling both backwards and forwards in time. The grim narrative is prefaced as a tribute to the people (mostly free African-Americans) who heroically nursed the sick and buried the dead during the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The fever serves as a metaphor for the effects of the story’s main themes (prejudice and racism), which can potentially destroy both victims and perpetrators. Other themes: slavery, fear, suffering, death, despair. More…
One Thousand Dollars
The twist ending in this O. Henry story has most readers believing that, after receiving an inheritance of $1,000 from an uncle and canvassing various options, the protagonist sees the error of his spendthrift ways. He then tells his uncle’s ward, who he loves and was left very little, that the money was left to her. And later, despite his profession of love being rejected, he contrives for her to receive an additional $50,000 to which he becomes entitled. Is this a story of selfless sacrifice, or could there be a further twist? Themes include change, deception, selflessness, generosity, love. More…
A Simple Heart / Soul
Set in nineteenth century France, this story by Gustav Flaubert portrays the life of an uneducated, simple-minded country girl who lives through fifty years of drudgery as house servant to a “disagreeable” woman who has fallen on hard times. The girl’s story evokes feelings of both admiration and sympathy: Admiration for her loyalty, piety, kindness and failure to give in to despair; Sympathy for her shameless exploitation, history of disappointment and loss, and misery and suffering approaching death. Themes: innocence; duty, faith and virtue; love and compassion; social class; wealth, poverty and exploitation; suffering, loss and death. More…
Night Talkers
In this story by Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian man living in New York returns to visit the aunt who raised him after his parents were murdered during the “Papa Doc” dictatorship. He believes he may have found their killer in America and wants to learn more about them before deciding to what to do. Sadly, his aunt dies before they can discuss it. At her wake, the story of a fellow “night talker” exemplifies how forgiveness may be a better path than revenge. Themes include violence and loss, memory, family, community, tradition, communication, dreams, guilt, forgiveness vs. vengeance. More…
The Little Things / Tears for Sale
Samira Azzam is best known for her later stories presenting a Palestinian perspective on the violence associated with the creation of Israel. Her lesser-known earlier stories are marked by entertaining descriptions of pre-war Palestinian life and traditions. In Little Things, a lovestruck college student tries but fails to heed her parent’s advice to remain virtuous and “not be like other silly girls”. Themes include reputation, first love, sexuality, self-determination. In Tears for Sale, a professional mourner who doubles as a beautician for brides learns that grief is easier to fake than suffer. Themes include curiosity, death, grief, marriage, virtue. More…