Short Story Reviews
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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In The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe we have the theme of revenge, pride, fear, freedom and self-importance. Narrated in the first person by a man called Montresor it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Poe may be exploring the theme of revenge. Montresor feels wounded by Fortunato’s insults or at least […]
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In Values in Life by Rudyard Kipling we have the theme of greed, honesty, conflict and acceptance. Taken from his A Book of Words collection the reader realises after reading the speech that Kipling may be exploring the theme of greed. Kipling states to the students in attendance that one should not be wealthy for wealth’s sake. In reality an […]
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In Lispeth by Rudyard Kipling we have the theme of class, love, acceptance, determination, change and innocence. Taken from his Plain Tales from the Hills collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Kipling may be exploring the theme of class. Lispeth has never been accepted […]
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In His Wedded Wife by Rudyard Kipling we have the theme of happiness, conformity, revenge, isolation, confidence, change, acceptance and respect. Taken from his Plain Tales from the Hills 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 Kipling may be exploring […]
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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 the theme of respect. The […]
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In 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 that the young girl he […]
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In 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 boys are brave to be […]
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In 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 connection. Both the narrator and […]
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In 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 to sailing. Though it is […]
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