Short Story Reviews
In the short story In Lieu of a Lesson by Ugochukwu Udorji we have the theme of disappointment, pride, connection, arrogance and happiness. Narrated in the first person by a man called Chris it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Udorji may be exploring the theme of disappointment. The narrator is disappointed with how […]
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In My Own My Native Land by Khushwant Singh we have the theme of pride, bureaucracy, authority and corruption. Taken from his The Portrait of a Lady collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed male narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Singh may be exploring the theme of pride. […]
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In The Woman at the Bus Stop by Mohan Rakesh we have the theme of control, selfishness, abuse, fear and paralysis. Taken from the Best Indian Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Rakesh may be exploring the theme of control. […]
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In The Agnostic by Khushwant Singh we have the theme of belief, fear and change. Taken from the Best Indian Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Singh may be exploring the theme of belief. The hostess believes in God and […]
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In Work, Death and Sickness: A Legend by Leo Tolstoy we have the theme, as the title suggests, of work, death and sickness. Taken from his Walk in the Light and Twenty-Three Tales collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that […]
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In Evil Allures, But Good Endures by Leo Tolstoy we have the theme of wealth, discontent, temptation and love. Taken from his Walk in the Light and Twenty-Three Tales collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Tolstoy may be exploring […]
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In Hunting by Bessie Head we have the theme of patriarchy, fear, honesty, generosity, modernity and honour. Taken from her The Collector of Treasures collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Head may be exploring the theme of patriarchy. It is the men […]
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In The Background by Saki we have the theme of ownership, pride, control, loss and freedom. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story it becomes clear to the reader that Saki may be exploring the theme of ownership. Deplis does not own […]
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In The Morning After the Night Before by Khushwant Singh we have the theme of struggle, control, embarrassment and fear. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Singh may be exploring the theme of struggle. […]
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In The Strength of God by Sherwood Anderson we have the theme of desperation, faith, depression, temptation and struggle. Taken from his Winesburg, Ohio collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Anderson may be exploring the theme of desperation. Curtis finds it difficult to write […]
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In The Watchers by Ray Bradbury we have the theme of connection, fear, selfishness, control and self-interest. Taken from his The Silver Locusts collection (1951) the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Bradbury may be exploring the theme of connection. Those who live on Mars are concerned about their families on Earth. They look on in disbelief […]
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In The Luggage Store by Ray Bradbury we have the theme of connection, conflict, acceptance, selfishness and self-interest. Taken from his The Silver Locusts collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Bradbury may be exploring the theme of connection. Though […]
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In The Intruder by Peter Songa we have the theme of modernity, education, innocence, colonization and selfishness. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader after reading the story that Songa may be exploring the theme of modernity. Mungo finds it interesting that the Maasai continue to be hunters. It is as though […]
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In The Olive Tree by Tololwa Marti Mollel we have the theme of fear, control, responsibility and patriarchy. Narrated in the first person by a young boy the reader realises that the narrator is a being controlled by his grandfather and chosen to get him an olive tree leaf. This may seem to be normal however later on the grandfather […]
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In The Pig by Doris Lessing we have the theme of control, infidelity, letting go and disappointment. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Lessing may be exploring the theme of control. The farmer appears to get great joy out of controlling his farm-workers and their families. Something […]
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In Noorjehan by Ahmed Essop we have the theme of tradition, marriage, fear, desperation, hope and paralysis. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed male teacher the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Essop may be exploring the theme of tradition. Though the story is set in the late twentieth century Noorjehan is being forced by […]
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In Old Age by Anton Chekhov we have the theme of change, loss, renewal, memories, guilt and despair. Taken from his The Complete Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and very early on in the story the reader realises that Chekhov may be exploring the theme of change. Since Uzelkov has returned […]
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In The Unkindest Blow by Saki we have the theme of unity, ego, privacy and gossip. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Saki may be exploring the theme of unity. The Zookeepers plan on going […]
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In The Special One by Bessie Head we have the theme of sadness, dependency, monogamy, Christianity and love. Taken from her The Collector of Treasures collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed woman and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Head may be exploring the theme of sadness. Gaenametse’s husband has […]
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In The Guests by Saki we have the theme of boredom, tension, animosity, gratitude, arrogance and respect. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Saki is exploring the theme of boredom. Annabel is […]
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In Field Trip by Tim O’Brien we have the theme of forgiveness, connection, innocence, and closure. Taken from his The Things We Carried collection the story is narrated in the first person by O’Brien himself and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that O’Brien may be exploring the theme of forgiveness. O’Brien has returned to Vietnam with […]
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In Night Life by Tim O’Brien we have the theme of tension, desperation, respect, connection and change. Taken from his The Things They Carried collection the story is narrated in the first person by O’Brien himself and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that O’Brien may be exploring the theme of tension. Kiley isn’t himself. He isn’t […]
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In Church by Tim O’Brien we have the theme of friendship, conflict, religious practice and innocence. Taken from his The Thing They Carried collection the story is narrated in the first person by O’Brien himself and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that O’Brien may be exploring the theme of friendship. The monks at the Church are […]
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In Good Form by Tim O’Brien we have the theme of honesty, writing, responsibility, acceptance and ego. Taken from his The Things They Carried Collection the story is narrated by O’Brien himself and after reading the story the reader realises that O’Brien may be exploring the theme of honesty. O’Brien admits that he has not killed a man while on […]
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In Ambush by Tim O’Brien we have the theme of honesty, regret, forgiveness, acceptance and conflict. Taken from his The Things They Carried collection the story is narrated in the first person by O’Brien himself and after reading the story the reader realises that O’Brien may be exploring the theme of honesty. O’Brien’s daughter, when she is a child, asks […]
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