Short Story Reviews
In The Union Buries Its Dead by Henry Lawson we have the theme of respect, change, responsibility, connection and identity. Taken from his While the Billy Boils collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Lawson may be exploring […]
Read moreIn On a Painted Face by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of appearance, deception, confidence, acceptance, independence, change and control. Taken from his Pebbles on the Shore collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of appearance. It is clear that Gardiner does not believe […]
Read moreIn Samuel by Grace Paley we have the theme of bravery, mortality, anger, connection, grief and loss. Taken from her The Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Paley may be exploring the theme of bravery. All four […]
Read moreIn Our Pipes by Henry Lawson we have the theme of connection, admiration, persistence, rebellion, respect, identification and loss. Taken from his While the Billy Boils collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Lawson may be exploring the theme of […]
Read moreIn The Sea by Robert Lynd we have the theme of fear, superstition, freedom, prosperity, servitude and acceptance. Taken from his The Book of This and That collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Lynd may be exploring the theme of fear. Particularly the fear one can encounter when it comes […]
Read moreIn Back to the Desk by Robert Lynd we have the theme of exhaustion, guilt, work, change, control and happiness. Taken from his Essays by Robert Lynd (1959) collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Lynd may be exploring the theme of exhaustion. While many people may go on holiday in order to […]
Read moreIn The Pleasures of Ignorance by Robert Lynd we have the theme of discovery, learning, confusion, inquisitiveness and ignorance. Taken from his collection of the same name the reader realises after reading the essay that Lynd may be exploring the theme of confusion. When a person is ignorant though still prepared to learn they can […]
Read moreIn On Bores by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of sympathy, desperation, perseverance, awareness, alienation and ignorance. Taken from his Windfalls collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of sympathy. Gardiner himself appears to have sympathy for both Blossom and Trip. Though he prefers to keep […]
Read moreIn the essay In Defence of Ignorance by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of knowledge, ignorance, contentment, change and acceptance. Taken from his Leaves in the Wind collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of knowledge and how it is impossible for one man […]
Read moreIn India—A Fable by Raja Rao we have the theme of colonialism, potential, control, change and independence. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man called Raja (assumed to be the author) and after reading the story the reader realises that Rao may be exploring the […]
Read moreIn Sand by Tim Winton we have the theme of conflict, anger, revenge, innocence, coming of age, blame, jealousy and fear. Taken from his The Turning and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Winton may be exploring […]
Read moreIn Reunion by Tim Winton we have the theme of connection, reconciliation, conflict, family, letting go and struggle. Taken from his The Turning and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a woman called Gail and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Winton may be exploring […]
Read moreIn Going Out for a Walk by Max Beerbohm we have the theme of conformity, escape, conflict, social opinion and tradition. Taken from his And Even Now collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Beerbohm may be exploring the theme of conformity. Beerbohm does not believe in going for a walk […]
Read moreIn A Fellow Traveller by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of uncertainty, freedom, control, generosity, appearance, equality and modesty. Taken from his Leaves in the Wind collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of uncertainty. Gardiner is unsure of when the mosquito came into […]
Read moreIn Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut we have the theme of equality, control, independence, conflict, change and fear. Taken from his Welcome to the Monkey House collection the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Vonnegut may be exploring the theme of equality. The Handicap General ensures that everybody is equal. However rather […]
Read moreIn On Catching the Train by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of uncertainty, control, reason, identity, confidence and anxiety. Taken from his Pebbles on the Shore collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of uncertainty. Gardiner unlike others does not have any faith in the punctuality […]
Read moreIn On Shaking Hands by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of civility, conflict, change, perception and choice. Taken from his Many Furrows collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of civility and the difficulties that one can incur with the simple act of shaking another individual’s […]
Read moreIn The Sporting Spirit by George Orwell we have the theme of pride, nationalism, jealousy, hatred and passion. Taken from his Shooting an Elephant collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Orwell may be exploring the theme of pride and nationalism. Orwell argues that the sport played by either side may not necessarily […]
Read moreIn My First Love by Ruskin Bond we have the theme of love, beauty, connection, freedom, letting go and innocence. Taken from his Collected Short Stories collection the story itself is a memory piece which is narrated in the first person by an unnamed man. What is also interesting about the story is the fact […]
Read moreIn Like Mother, Like Son by Pauline Cartledge we have the theme of unhappiness, desperation, control, dependency and revenge. Narrated in the way of an epistolary narrative the story is only fifty words long and it becomes clear to the reader after reading the story that Cartledge may be exploring the theme of unhappiness. Taking […]
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