Featured Stories

Slowly, Slowly in the Wind

Slowly, Slowly in the Wind: Short story by Patricia HighsmithIn this story by Patricia Highsmith, doctors warn “Skip” Skipperton, a notoriously bad-tempered business executive, to slow down or risk early death. His answer is to buy Coldstream Heights, a small but comfortable farm. Skip’s only problem is that the titular “stream” is a few meters inside a neighbor’s property, which the owner won’t sell or lease at any price. Not used to being refused, Skip is enraged. When his beloved daughter elopes with the neighbor’s son, he kills the old man. Unfortunately for Skip, the murder is exposed by a children’s Halloween prank. Themes: anger, narcissism, pride, revenge, justice.

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Redemption

Redemption: Short story by John GardnerThe fact that this story mirrors a similar event in author John Gardner’s childhood lends credibility to the feelings and emotions portrayed. When a twelve-year-old boy kills his seven-year-old brother in a horrific farm accident, he and his family are devastated. His father falls apart, womanizing and disappearing for days at a time, while his mother and five-year-old sister grieve privately, putting their faith in God. The boy, knowing the accident was preventable, relives it every day and even gets to the point of considering suicide. Themes: grief, religion, community, guilt, art (in this case music) as a redemptive force.

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The Sisters

The Sisters: Short story by James JoyceSeveral themes in this story by James Joyce (paralysis, corruption and abuse of authority) are said to represent major issues facing both Ireland and its Catholic Church in the early 1900s. The story, which takes place shortly after the death of a Catholic priest, is narrated by a boy who was friends with and mentored by the cleric. He is angered by insinuations the priest was involved in a scandal but also feels “freed”, presumably because he can resume a normal boyhood. Other themes include religion, secular vs. religious education, fall from grace, mental illness, loneliness, death, “freedom”.

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Lamb to the Slaughter

Lamb to the Slaughter: Short story by Roald DahlThe title of this story by Roald Dahl may have a clever double meaning. On the one hand, we have a woman who uses a lamb, or rather a frozen leg of lamb, to kill her husband. On the other, it may relate to the English idiom “Like a lamb to the Slaughter”. This would lead to the question: Which of the characters (the husband, the wife or both) could be described as someone going calmly about their business, not knowing that something very unpleasant is about to happen to them? Themes include betrayal, identity/gender stereotyping, injustice and revenge.

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The Girl Who Can

The Girl Who Can: Short story by Ama Ata AidooIn this inspiring story by Ama Ata Aidoo, a seven-year-old Ghanaian girl demonstrates that success in life is not about meeting societal gender norms, but rather capitalizing on one’s natural talents and abilities. The girl’s grandmother clings to outdated concepts of a woman’s role and place in the community, criticizing her “non-child-bearing” legs and desire for education. The girl’s mother passively accepts the body comments, but supports her schooling. Ironically, when the girl achieves athletic success, the grandmother basks in her glory. Themes include innocence, matriarchy, tradition (gender roles), generational conflict, body shaming, education and self-improvement, identity (self-discovery and empowerment).

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Monkeyman

Monkeyman: Short story by Walter Dean MyersW. D. Myers’s Monkeyman is a quiet, bookish senior high-school student who steps in to prevent two “lady” members of a street gang from slashing the face of a girl he knows. The rest of the gang is honour-bound to extract payback. Instead of hiding, he challenges one of them to meet in a park. As a large crowd gathers to watch, Monkeyman does something that surprises everyone. Three weeks later, he is fighting for his life in hospital. At the time, the narrator thinks Monkeyman’s actions in the park were stupid. Years later, he/she thinks differently.

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In the Great Walled Country

In the Great Walled Country: Short story by R M AldenThis Christmas story by R. M. Alden tells of a strange land of ice and snow where children never grow up. Being so close to the North Pole, Santa Claus doesn’t deliver presents to people’s houses. He hangs them on trees in a forest. On Christmas Eve, everyone goes out and chooses gifts to give to their family and friends. One year, a stranger visits and convinces the child king that it would be better to change the law so that people collected presents for themselves rather than others. The result was not what he expected.

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Stones in My Passway, Hellhound on My Trail

Stones in My Passway, Hellhound on My Trail: Short story by T. C. BoyleThis story from T. C. Boyle is a fictionalized account of the last night in the life of American blues musician Robert Johnson. Although heralded today as a master of the blues, he received little acclaim while alive and led an itinerant, poorly disciplined life. A rumour circulating at the time was that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical prowess. The story suggests that it was a jilted woman, rather than a hellhound collecting the devil’s due, that brought about his demise. Themes include death, fate vs. free will, music, self-indulgence and jealousy.

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