This powerful story by Barry Hannah follows the journey of a boy and several companions from youthful pranks to high school band competitions, musical success, fulfilling careers and, in two cases, premature death. Set between the mid-1950s and the late-1960s, the story highlights several aspects of the American South’s small-town culture of the day: family wholesomeness, racial segregation, the sexual revolution, the rise of rock and roll, and the Vietnam War. Themes include the transformative power of music, friendship and rivalry, sexuality, gender roles, misogyny, racism, isolation, patriotism, and social change. More…
Heavy-Set
Ray Bradbury‘s character Lenny (Leonard) lives at home with his mother and has a lot going for him. He has a body-builder’s physique, secure job, nice car, and no shortage of girls wanting to go out with him. Unfortunately, he is also mentally and socially challenged. He doesn’t take disappointment or ridicule well, often barely able to control his temper. The story takes place over a Halloween night. Lenny is excited, but the party he was looking forward to is a flop, leading to a potentially explosive homecoming. Themes include alienation, repression, interdependence, arrested development, fitting in, fear, despair. More…
To the Man On the Trail
In this Jack London story, a group of Alaskan miners celebrating Christmas greet a stranger warmly. The man is in a hurry. He shares a drink, passes around a picture of his family, and asks to be awakened in four hours to be on his way. Shortly after he leaves, a policeman arrives claiming the stranger had stolen $40,000. The men are initially angry at being deceived. However, when they learn he had only stolen money owed to him, they drink to the stranger’s good luck and “confusion to the police”. Themes include camaraderie, betrayal, morality, wilderness justice. More…
The Wall
In this story by Jean-Paul Sartre, a foreign volunteer in the fight against Franco’s Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War is arrested. He and two other men are put in a cell where they learn they will be shot the following morning. Most of story is about how each deals with the prospect of death. After the other two are led away, the narrator is given a choice: to follow them or give up the location of a Republican leader. Themes include the brutality of war, death, existentialism (free will to determine the meaning and purpose of our life). More…
The Old Man and the Sea
The central character in this award-winning novella by Ernest Hemingway is a down on his luck, aging fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish for 84 days. Convinced things are about to change, he ventures further out to sea than usual and hooks a giant marlin longer than his small boat. He finally reels it in after a three-day struggle and secures it to the side of his boat. Sadly, his prize is “stolen” on the way back to shore. Themes: man vs. nature, friendship, luck, memories, perseverance, suffering, religion, pride, defeat (a man can be destroyed but not defeated). More…