Featured Stories

Powder

Powder: Short story by Tobias WolffThis story from Tobias Wolff explores the relationship between a boy and his father at a time when his parent’s marriage is failing. The two have very different personalities. The boy is conservative and super-organized; the father carefree and irresponsible with little regard for rules. In order to return his son home from a skiing holiday in time for Christmas, the father disregards a police barrier and attempts a dangerous drive down a mountain in heavy snow. The boy shares a moment of bonding with his father as he uncharacteristically decides to ignore the potential consequences and enjoy the experience.

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The Fifty-first Dragon

The Fifty-first Dragon: Short story by Heywood BrounThis major themes of this humorous take on the dragon-slayer genre by Heywood Broun are courage and belief in one’s ability. When Gawaine fails almost everything else at “Knight School”, the headmaster decides to make him a dragon slayer. Unfortunately, Gawaine lacks self-confidence and insists on receiving a magical invisibility spell before starting the job. Some reviewers see the story as an allegory of America’s elite College Preparatory Schools. Written in 1919, others see it as a satire of the propaganda slogans used to lure naïve young men to the trenches during World War 1. Other themes: paternalism, deception, vanity.

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María Concepción

María Concepción: Short story by Katherine Anne PorterThis story by Katherine Anne Porter exemplifies the proverb Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. María Concepción, a pious Mexican peasant, is shattered when her husband has an affair with a fifteen-year-old neighbour and runs away with her to war. When the two return, the girl heavily pregnant, he expects their marriage to continue as if nothing had happened. Maria makes sure of this by brutally murdering the girl. During the police investigation the community covers up her involvement, perhaps sensing that true justice has been served. Themes include patriarchy, betrayal, revenge, moral vs. legal justice, feminism.

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The Management of Grief

The Management of Grief: Short story by Bharati MukherjeeThis story by Bharati Mukherjee is a fictional account of how families of Canadian-Indian passengers coped (or in some cases couldn’t cope) in the aftermath of the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182. Told through the eyes of a woman who lost her husband and two sons, the story contrasts the Canadian government’s insensitive, “textbook” approach to grief management with the protagonist’s conviction that we must all grieve in our own way according to our cultural traditions and personal preferences. Themes: denial (hope) vs. acceptance, despair, cultural tradition, bureaucracy, collective vs individual identity, collective blame.

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End of the Game

End of the Game: Short story by Julio CortázarThis Julio Cortázar story involves two “games”. One is the daily Statues role-play three adolescent girls perform to entertain passengers on a passing train. The second is also a game of pretend… ignoring the effect a debilitating disability will have on one of their lives. For the disabled girl (Letitia), Statues is the only physical activity in which she can match the others. They in turn are resentful of Letitia’s special treatment at home. When a boy on the train takes a special interest in Letitia, both games end. Themes: fantasy vs. reality, envy, guilt, confronting disability, coming of age.

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Fleur

Fleur: Short story by Louise ErdrichThis story by Louise Edrich incorporates elements of magical realism and Chippewa Indian mythology. It recounts the experiences of Fleur, a Native-American woman who leaves her tribe after several mystical experiences to work in a small-town butchery. Fleur is not only strong, independent and confident, but has seemingly magical powers that, among other things, help her consistently win money from her male co-workers in after-work card games. This damages the men’s egos, leading to her brutal rape and the “accidental” death of her three abusers. Themes: female power, sexuality and mystique; racism; gender and cultural conflicts; violence.

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Amnesty

Amnesty: Short story by Nadine GordimerA major theme of this story by Nadine Gordimer, and the reason it is still relevant today, is the need for grass roots involvement in the struggle for justice. A young South African woman whose unionist husband is imprisoned for five years comes to appreciate the need for people at all levels to join hands in resisting oppression. Although the exploitation of poorly educated indigenous laborers depicted in the story has greatly diminished, injustice in many other forms is still rampant throughout the world. Other themes: racism, the right to protest, the importance of learning, love, loneliness, dedication, change.

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Toads and Diamonds (The Fairies)

Toads and Diamonds: French folktale from Charles PerraultThis story from Charles Perrault is about a bad-tempered, greedy widow and her two daughters. One girl is selfish, rude and ugly but loved by her mother. The other girl is kind, polite and beautiful but treated badly. With the help of a fairy (who else?), the kind daughter marries a prince and the selfish daughter dies alone. The story leaves readers wondering about the fairy’s gift. Life would be miserable (and maybe impossible) if something fell from your mouth every time you opened it? Also, did the prince really marry her out of love, or was it for diamonds?

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