In No Place to Make Love by Langston Hughes we have the theme of struggle, privacy, responsibility, conflict, desperation and hope. Taken from his Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and the reader realizes from the beginning of the story that Hughes may be exploring the theme of struggle. The narrator […]

In the James Baldwin adapted parable, The Blind Men and the Elephant, we have the theme of curiosity, perception, ignorance and conflict. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realizes from the beginning of the story that Baldwin may be exploring the theme of curiosity. The blind men have never seen an elephant before and do […]

In the shorty story In The Shadow of War by Ben Okri we have the theme of conflict, trust, connection, innocence and fear. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Okri may be exploring the theme of conflict. The war that is occurring in Omovo’s […]

In the essay On Good Resolutions by Robert Lynd we have the theme of respect, virtue, morality, maturity and habit. Taken from his The Book of This and That the reader realizes from the beginning of the essay that Lynd may be exploring the theme of respect. Lynd believes that those who make good resolutions should be respected. They take […]

In One Summer Night by Ambrose Bierce we have the theme of acceptance, mortality, determination, experience and fear. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Bierce may be exploring the theme of acceptance. Though buried alive and it would seem without any ability to free […]

In The Aged Mother by Matsuo Basho we have the theme of power, selfishness, honesty, forgiveness, wisdom, love and change. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Basho may be exploring the theme of power. The ruler of Shining abuses his power by requesting that […]

In The Boy Who Painted Christ Black by John Henrik Clarke we have the theme of race, freedom, pride, arrogance, connection and dignity. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator the reader realizes after reading the story that Clarke may be exploring the theme of race. Aaron’s painting of Christ causes problems for him and the principal George […]

In The Bamboo Blind by Seema Jena we have the theme of marriage, control, equality, patriarchy, freedom, acceptance, paralysis and escape. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Jena may be exploring the theme of marriage. Razia and Razak are married and Razia is unhappy. […]

In A Death in the Stadium by Robert Nathan we have the theme of mortality, voyeurism, acceptance, fascination, entertainment and satisfaction. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator the reader realizes from the beginning of the story that Nathan may be exploring the theme of mortality. The narrator along with his friend have gone to the stadium to […]