Short Story Reviews
In Marriage is a Private Affair by Chinua Achebe we have the theme of modernity, tradition, control, conflict, stubbornness, gender roles, independence, change and remorse. Taken from his Girls at War and Other 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 Achebe may […]
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In The Madman by Chinua Achebe we have the theme of struggle, determination, identity, conflict, appearance and perception. Taken from his Girls at War and Other 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 Achebe may be exploring the theme of struggle. Though Nwibe […]
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In The Voter by Chinua Achebe we have the theme of corruption, loyalty, guilt, power, greed and tradition. Taken from his Girls at War 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 Achebe may be exploring the theme of corruption. As a politician […]
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In Next Door by Tobias Wolff we have the theme of fear, conflict, violence, peace and harmony. Taken from his In The Garden of The North American Martyrs and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Wolff may be exploring the […]
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In Mr. and Mrs. Dove by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of uncertainty, insecurity, hope, loneliness, control, disappointment, acceptance and paralysis. Taken from her The Garden Party and Other 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 Mansfield may be exploring the […]
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In The Introduction by Virginia Woolf we have the theme of isolation, fear, insecurity, anxiety, equality and class. Taken from her The Complete Shorter Fiction collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the readers realises that Woolf may be exploring the theme of isolation. Lily while at […]
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In At Lehmann’s by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of innocence, vulnerability, appearance, confusion and desire. Taken from her In a German Pension collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Mansfield may be exploring the theme of innocence. Sabina believes Hans’ story […]
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In The Woman at the Store by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of struggle, hardship, relief, loneliness, change, isolation and regret. Taken from her Something Childish and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed female narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Mansfield may be exploring the theme […]
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In Honeymoon by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of love, happiness, doubt, selfishness and control. Taken from her The Doves’ Nest 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 Mansfield may be exploring the theme of love and happiness. For large sections […]
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In Revelations by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of insecurity, loneliness, freedom, change, compassion and selfishness. Taken from her Bliss 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 Mansfield may be exploring the theme of insecurity. Monica at times considers herself to […]
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In Six Years After by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of acceptance, compliance, selfishness, control and paralysis. 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 Mansfield may be exploring the theme of acceptance and compliance. While both protagonists are on the […]
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In The Boarded Window by Ambrose Bierce we have the theme of isolation, loneliness, hope, grief, failure and guilt. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the setting of the story the reader realises that Bierce may be exploring the theme of isolation. Murlock is […]
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In Dead Men’s Path by Chinua Achebe we have the theme of change, tradition, progress, arrogance, control and ego. Taken from his Girls at War 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 Achebe may be exploring the theme of change and tradition. […]
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In The Drunkard by Frank O’Connor we have the theme of apprehension, fear, pride, gossip, control, temptation, curiosity, helplessness, alcoholism and trust. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young boy called Larry Delaney and after reading the story the reader realises that O’Connor may be exploring the theme of apprehension […]
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In First Confession by Frank O’Connor we have the theme of conflict, appearance, division, connection, fear, innocence and honesty. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is a memory piece and is narrated in the first person by a man called Jackie. What is interesting about the beginning of the story is that O’Connor may be exploring the theme […]
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In The Man of the House by Frank O’Connor we have the theme of innocence, temptation, guilt, responsibility, control, resilience, redemption and acceptance. Taken from his Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man called Gus Sullivan who is looking back at an incident in his life when he was ten years old. It is […]
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In Loneliness by Sherwood Anderson we have the theme of paralysis, letting go, insecurity, control, freedom, loneliness and connection. 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 paralysis. Not only has Enoch ended up […]
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In Marriage à la Mode by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of change, uncertainty, selfishness, alienation and isolation. Taken from her The Garden Party 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 Mansfield at the beginning of the story may be using […]
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In Theft by Katherine Anne Porter we have the theme of loneliness, uncertainty, struggle, trust, independence, love, identity and loss. Taken from her Flowering Judas 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 Porter is using the weather to set the tone of the story. […]
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In A Summer’s Reading by Bernard Malamud we have the theme of appearance, change, loneliness, escape, fear, paralysis, compassion and connection. 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 the reader realises that Malamud may be exploring the theme of appearance. George likes the […]
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In Mountain Victory by William Faulkner we have the theme of war, tradition, trust, power, prejudice, letting go, destruction, escape and loyalty. Taken from his Selected 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 Faulkner may be exploring the theme of war and […]
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In A Society by Virginia Woolf we have the theme of oppression, dominance, control, determination, equality and change. Taken from her The Complete Shorter Fiction collection the story is narrated in the first person by a woman called Cassandra and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Woolf may be exploring the theme of control or dominance, particularly […]
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In The Little Girl by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of fear, control, freedom, independence, acceptance, compassion and change. Taken from her Something Childish and Other 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 Mansfield may be exploring the theme of control. […]
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In The Sea Change by Ernest Hemingway we have the theme of pride, acceptance, forgiveness, independence, sexuality and conflict. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator though for the main the story is a conversational piece. One of the most striking things about the story is that […]
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In Oil of Dog by Ambrose Bierce we have the theme of greed, corruption, responsibility, unity and isolation. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man called Boffer Bings and after reading the story the reader realises that Bierce may be exploring the theme of greed and corruption. Both […]
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