Chickamauga

Chickamauga: Short story by Ambrose BierceThis American Civil War story by Ambrose Bierce develops an increasingly ominous tone after a six-year-old boy becomes lost in the woods while playing soldier. He mysteriously sleeps through a bloody battle, wakes to find himself confronted by hundreds of badly wounded and dying soldiers, and silently “leads” them towards a red glow, which turns out to be his burning home. As he stands making “animal noises” over the gory remains of his dead mother, we learn the reason for some of his unusual behavior. Themes: the fantasy (glory) vs. reality (horror) of war, perception (childhood innocence vs. adult awareness).

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On the Rainy River

On the Rainy River: Short story by Tim O'BrienThe major themes of this “memoir” by Tim O’Brien are shame and guilt. Its purpose is to mitigate the trauma of events twenty years earlier when, as a twenty-one-year-old, the writer was drafted to fight in Vietnam. Ironically, he feels both emotions: 1) for his initial decision to flee America to avoid fighting in a war he didn’t believe in; and 2) for putting his convictions aside, going to war, and things he did and/or was exposed to during the conflict. Other themes: moral confusion, civic duty, fear (embarrassment/social stigma vs. injury or death), connection, courage and cowardice.

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All the King’s Horses

All the King's Horses: Short story by Kurt VonnegutThe major theme of this Cold War allegory from Kurt Vonnegut is the human cost involved in resolving armed conflicts. The focus of the story is the moral dilemma faced by those in ultimate command… the need to put personal feelings aside and make strategic decisions that are likely to result in collateral losses. The story also reflects the dynamics of power in war: how the ordinary soldier, general population, and even vassal powers such as Pi Ying’s rebels, are mere pawns in a “game” beyond their control. Other themes: cruelty, dehumanization, sacrifice, manipulation.

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Yesterday was Beautiful

Yesterday was Beautiful: Short story by Roald DahlWith the devastation currently taking place in Ukraine, we have decided to feature a story highlighting the misery of innocent victims of war. Roald Dahl’s short stories are known for their dark comedy and unexpected endings. There is nothing funny about this story. However, he does manage an unexpected twist that emphasizes the overall theme reflected in the title: In war, things can go from “beautiful” to your worst nightmare overnight. Other themes: (for civilians) indiscriminate bombing, senseless death and destruction, psychological trauma, anger, revenge; (for combatants) collateral damage, personal survival.

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The War Prayer

War Prayer: Short story by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)Following Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, it seems appropriate to feature one of literature’s most famous “anti-war” stories. Written in 1905, this narrative essay by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) is a condemnation of the American imperialist agenda that led to the Spanish and Filipino-American Wars. With his usual sarcasm and wit, Twain brushes aside patriotic bravado and poignantly focuses on the suffering of combatants and civilians on both sides. Themes: patriotism, the horrors of war, the connection between the church (religion) and war, the selfish one-sidedness of war prayers vs. the universality of God.

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Prayer for the Living

Prayer for the Living: Short story by Ben OkriThis story by Ben Okri highlights the suffering of innocent civilians caught up in regional conflicts. Set during the Nigerian Civil War when a government blockade of the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra resulted in mass starvation, a man who hasn’t eaten for three weeks walks among corpses scattered in an unnamed town. He has come to the grim conclusion that the dead seem happier and more alive than the living. His purpose… to make sure that his family and lover are dead before finding “happiness” himself. Themes include the horrors of war, corruption/ethnic rivalry, suffering, acceptance, death as relief.

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Bread of Sacrifice

Bread of Sacrifice: Short story by Samira AzzamSet during the 1947-1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, this story by Samira Azzam describes a tragic romance between a Palestinian fighter defending the city of Acre and a young nurse who elected to remain after her family had fled. Both are idealistic and prepared to die out of love for their homeland. The girl is shot delivering a basket of bread to the starving men on the soldier’s roof-top barricade. The men face a dilemma… eat something prohibited under Islamic law (a dead dog), or bread soaked in the martyred woman’s blood. Themes include love, patriotism, courage, death.

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Cranes

Cranes: Short story by Hwang Sun-wonHwang Sun-won’s Cranes shows how humanity can outweigh ideology. Two childhood friends find themselves on opposite sides in the Korean War. One, a village commander, is captured and the other assigned to take him for interrogation and probable execution. When asked why he did not flee, the captured man talks about his aged father’s connection to the land. The other man can relate to this, because he carries the guilt of having left his family when he went away to war. This prompts the captor to suggest they go off on a crane hunt, as they did once as boys.

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