Featured Stories

Greatness Strikes Where It Pleases

Greatness Strikes Where It Pleases: Short story by Lars GustafssonThis touching story by Lars Gustafsson explores the life of a severely retarded man who was institutionalized from age seven. Although it mentions the obvious issues of social isolation, loneliness, and ill-treatment, these are not the focus of the story. Rather, it is a celebration of how, cut off from society and without love or human companionship, he uses childhood memories to connect to the world through an imaginary private universe in which, as the creator, he holds a place of greatness. Themes include social isolation and loneliness, powerlessness, the importance of language, memories, imagination, connection.

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Misery / The Lament

Misery / The Lament: Short story by Anton ChekhovIn this story by Anton Chekhov, sledge driver Iona Potapov is distraught because his son has died and he feels alone in the world. Another translation of the title is “The Lament” (a show of sorrow for someone who has died or something that is gone). The story addresses the question: What could be worse than the sadness associated with losing a loved one? Chekhov’s answer: To feel so lonely and cut off from the world that you have no one to talk to about it.. Themes include grief, discomfort, indifference, cruelty, loneliness, the healing power of animals.

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The Dog of Tithwal

The Dog of Tithwal: Short story by Saadat Hasan MantoThis story from Saadat Hasan Manto takes place during the first Indo-Pakistan (Kashmir) War, which commenced just two months after the 1947 formation of the two countries. The war was a form of “Mexican standoff”. This is reflected in the plot, where soldiers break their boredom with occasional shots towards the enemy camp that have no chance of hitting anyone. The treatment and killing of Jhun Jhun for “refusing” to take sides is symbolic of the suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict. Themes: natural peace and harmony vs. mankind’s propensity for violence, futility, innocence, distrust, cruelty, human suffering.

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Tam and Cam

Tam and Cam: Vietnamese folktaleAs indicated in our comments on the famous children’s story Cinderella, there are hundreds of folktales around the world that have the similar central plots. This Vietnamese version is longer and continues after the protagonist becomes Queen. The story from here on could only happen in a folktale from a country where people believe that after we die we can be born again in non-human form. The poor girl is killed twice after marrying the king, each time coming back to life in a different form. Fortunately, goodness wins out and the evil stepsister soon finds herself in hot water.

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Black Is My Favorite Color

Black Is My Favorite Color: Short story by Bernard MalamudIn this cynical take on 1960s race relations by Bernard Malamud, a Jewish-American shopkeeper turns the traditional racial discrimination debate on its head. Claiming to be open-minded and desirous of not only integrating with his local African-American community but also marrying into it, he finds himself shunned, vilified, beaten and rejected for his efforts. Some reviewers suggest that he has brought these problems upon himself by trying to be “too kind” and unintentionally coming across as privileged and condescending towards those he tries to help. Themes include racial inequality, racial and religious discrimination, interracial relationships, violence.

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The Offshore Pirate

The Offshore Pirate: Short story by F. Scott FitzgeraldSeveral F. Scott Fitzgerald stories feature spoiled young women from wealthy families who make a sport of manipulating the men around them. Ardita, the flapper protagonist in this romantic adventure, is one of the rudest, most obnoxious of these. A highlight of the story is Fitzgerald’s powerful descriptive language. A disturbing feature for today’s readers is the use of 1920s social and racial slurs in building Curtis Carlyle’s backstory. Major themes include wealth, egotism, rebellion against authority, escapism, racism and class-consciousness. Despite the closing “illustrative” kiss, one wonders if any relationship with Ardita could have a happily ever after ending.

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The Beast in the Jungle

The Beast in the Jungle: Novella by Henry JamesDespite a relatively simple plot and only two main characters, this short novella by Henry James can be hard-going on the first read. A man is obsessed with the feeling that misfortune of some kind will come into his life “like a beast in the jungle”. He shares the premonition with a female acquaintance, who is interested enough to agree to stay close and “watch his back”. In order to build suspense in the lead-up to the story’s heartbreaking conclusion, James shrouds the interactions between the two in confusion and ambiguity. Themes: fate, obsession, connection, insensitivity, suffering, death, guilt.

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Ripe Figs

Ripe Figs: Flash story by Kate ChopinThis flash story by Kate Chopin packs several themes into just under 300 words. The most obvious are the different perspectives on the marking and passage of time. Maman-Nainaine is close to the land and marks events by natural cycles as opposed to the calendar. For her, like many older people, the weeks and months pass quickly. For Babette, thanks to the impatience of youth, time seems to move slowly when looking forward to something. The symbolism of ripening figs (representing the maturing of Babette into womanhood) and chrysanthemums (the “death flower” in Creole culture) indicate other possible themes.

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