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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

In 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 relax. Lynd finds himself unable […]

In 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 easily become confused by the […]

In 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 theme of colonization. Throughout the […]

In 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 the theme of conflict. Frank […]

In 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 the theme of connection. Carol […]

In 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 for the simple purpose of […]

In 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 than this being a euphoric […]

In 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 be of the utmost importance. […]

In 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 the first section of the […]

In Death and the Compass by Jorge Luis Borges we have the theme of revenge, murder, mystery and deception. Taken from his Collected Fictions collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Borges is writing a mystery. One in whereby the police may not […]

In The Book of Sand by Jorge Luis Borges we have the theme of curiosity, confusion, addiction, conflict, torment and obsession. Taken from his Collected Fictions collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Borges may be exploring the theme of curiosity. The narrator’s curiosity is […]

In Big Brother by Premchand we have the theme of innocence, pride, experience, education, sacrifice and connection. The story itself is narrated in the first person by an unnamed man who is recalling an incident when he was a young boy. It also becomes clear to the reader after reading the story that Premchand may be exploring the theme of […]

In The Law of Life by Jack London we have the theme of acceptance, mortality, connection, tradition, loneliness, struggle and selfishness. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that London may be exploring the theme of acceptance. Koskoosh appears to be accepting of the fact that he is going to die. […]