Short Story Reviews
In On Waking Up by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of sleep, control, happiness, contentment and change. Taken from his Windfalls collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of sleep. For Gardiner there is no better time than just having woken from sleep. Man is calm and refreshed and ready to […]
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In Chief Seattle’s Speech we have the theme of friendship, control, religion, trust and acceptance. Taken from the original Seattle Sunday Star article the reader realises from the beginning of the speech that Chief Seattle comes in peace or friendship towards the white man. He knows of the atrocities that have been caused between both the Native Americans and the […]
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In The Cobbler and the Machine by Mulk Raj Anand we have the theme of tradition, gratitude, modernity, enthusiasm, poverty and guilt. Taken from his Selected Short stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Anand may be exploring the theme of tradition. […]
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In On Getting Off to Sleep by J.B. Priestley we have the theme of insomnia, irritation, restlessness, ignorance, arrogance and sympathy. Taken from his Papers from Lilliput collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Priestley may be exploring the theme of insomnia. Throughout the essay Priestley finds difficulty in sleeping. No matter what he tries to do. He […]
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In The Machine That Won the War by Isaac Asimov we have the theme of doubt, reliability, trust, chance, responsibility, independence and self-importance. Taken from his Nightfall and Other Stories collection the reader realises after reading the story that Asimov may be exploring the theme of doubt. All three men in the story (Swift, Henderson and Jablonsky) have or had […]
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In The Story of Muhammad Din by Rudyard Kipling we have the theme of mortality, generosity, authority, conformity, freedom and independence. Taken from his Plain Tales from the Hills collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed man and after reading the story the reader realises that Kipling may be exploring the theme of mortality. Muhammad […]
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In The Untold Lie by Sherwood Anderson we have the theme of marriage, responsibility, commitment, happiness, freedom, fear, acceptance, selfishness, control and regret. Taken from his Winesburg, Ohio collection the reader realises after reading the story that Anderson may be exploring the theme of marriage. Hal is in trouble having gotten Nell pregnant. He is also unsure as to whether […]
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In Of Revenge by Francis Bacon we have the theme of morality, letting go, control, acceptance and selfishness. Taken from his The Essays collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Bacon is against the act of revenge. He considers it to be morally wrong and not of the spirit of man. It is better to live […]
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In Of Studies by Francis Bacon we have the theme of education, knowledge and balance. Taken from his The Essays collection the reader realises from the beginning of the essay that Bacon believes that studying has three benefits. Firstly some people study for delight or personal use. To humour themselves while at the same time not imposing their knowledge on […]
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In On Smiles by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of happiness, trust, change and appearance. Taken from his Many Furrows collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of happiness or rather the happiness one receives from seeing another person smile. For Gardiner there is also a difference between a natural smile […]
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In On the Rule of the Road by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of liberty, frustration, equality and control. Taken from his Leaves in the Wind collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of liberty, both personal and social. Gardiner finds it difficult when an individual’s personal liberty impinges on the […]
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In Tight Corners by E.V. Lucas we have the theme of struggle, risk, self-importance, appearance and good fortune. Taken from his Giving and Receiving collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Lucas may be exploring the theme of struggle. The narrator knows that he does not have the money to buy the Daubigny but he hopes that by […]
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In A Funeral by E.V. Lucas we have the theme of friendship, respect, generosity, acceptance and loss. Taken from his A Little of Everything collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Lucas may be exploring the theme of friendship. Lucas speaks highly of his friend (who is unnamed) and there is a sense that there will be a […]
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In the essay On Superstitions by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of fear, control, superstition, logic, tradition, insecurity and escape. Taken from his Alpha of the Plough Second Series collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Gardiner may be exploring the theme of fear. Man has a fear of the unknown and to alleviate this fear he […]
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In the essay On the Pleasures of no Longer being Very Young by G.K. Chesterton we have the theme of youth, maturity, innocence, conflict and happiness. Taken from his All is Grist collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Chesterton may be exploring the differences between youth and maturity. A young person may not necessarily have the same […]
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In How the Leopard got his Spots by Rudyard Kipling we have the theme of necessity, fear, appearance, conflict, change and trust. Taken from his Just So Stories collection the reader realises after reading the story that Kipling may be exploring the theme of necessity. Best Beloved (or Spots) and Sambo are driven to despair because of their inability to […]
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In The Late Bud by Ama Ata Aidoo we have the theme of isolation, confusion, identity, childhood, freedom, reconciliation, conflict and love. Taken from her No Sweetness Here and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and the reader realises after reading the story that Aidoo may be exploring the theme of […]
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In A Dog’s Life by Mulk Raj Anand we have the theme of pity, love, connection, kindness, cruelty, acceptance and empathy. Taken from his Selected Short 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 the narrator may pity Spotty. Spotty has been discarded […]
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In the essay On The Cheerfulness of the Blind by A.G. Gardiner we have the theme of happiness, acceptance, isolation and gratitude. 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 happiness. Gardiner argues that he has yet to see a blind man or […]
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In A Tiger Comes to Town by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of hopelessness, perception, ignorance, fear, control, freedom and identity. Narrated in the first person, by the tiger who is unnamed, the reader realises from the beginning of the story that Narayan may be exploring the theme of fear. Everybody in the market is afraid of the tiger. […]
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In Shabine by Hazel Simmons-McDonald we have the theme of love, isolation, family, gender roles, race and power. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Simmons-McDonald may be exploring the theme of love. There is no doubt that the young boy who gives Shabine the paradise plums longs for her. […]
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In On Running After One’s Hat by G.K. Chesterton we have the theme of escape, embarrassment and acceptance. Taken from his On Running After One’s Hat and Other Whimsies collection the reader realises after reading the essay that Chesterton may be exploring the theme of escape. For Chesterton it is easier to imagine himself acting as a child might do […]
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In An Old Mate of Your Father’s by Henry Lawson we have the theme of friendship, intimacy, respect, memory, identity and aspirations. Taken from his While the Billy Boils collection the story is narrated in the second person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Lawson may be exploring […]
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In Some Day by Henry Lawson we have the theme of love, insecurity, pride, loneliness, hope, regret and hardship. Taken from his While the Billy Boils collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Lawson may be exploring the theme of love. Mitchell has never forgotten […]
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In Shooting the Moon by Henry Lawson we have the theme of friendship, identity, struggle, pride, perseverance and connection. 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 friendship. Despite trying to evade […]
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