Heroism The protagonist of a fairy tale is often a courageous man who risks mortal danger in order to achieve some noble quest. The king’s attendant in this story is heroic in every way. He is the only one ”loyal and courageous” enough to go in search of a feather from the ogre. Along his…
Tag: Themes
The Erlking by Angela Carter – Themes
Nature and Its Meaning The deep woods where the story is set is a lonely, melancholy place, giving in to the creeping coldness of the oncoming winter. It is also a truly wild place; it has ”reverted to its original privacy.” It has a disorienting effect on any human passerby, as indicated by the second-person…
Debbie and Julie – Themes
Knowledge and Ignorance ”Debbie and Julie” tells of the knowledge that is earned through the trials of life experience. Julie, its teenage protagonist, runs away from her conservative parents in order to hide her pregnancy from them. She is taken in by a kind prostitute and survives the terrifying ordeal of giving birth alone in…
Resurrection of a Life by William Saroyan – Themes
Facing Reality In “Resurrection of a Life,” Saroyan explores the experiences of a ten-year-old boy facing the realities of life in a big city during World War I. Some of these experiences were quite harsh, while others were not as bad as they seemed to the boy at the time. In any case, this boy…
The Red Convertible – Themes – Brotherhood – War
Brotherhood At the center of “The Red Convertible” is the relationship between Lyman and Henry. Lyman’s motivation for telling the story is to embrace and preserve his brother’s memory. Because the story is told from Lyman’s point of view, the reader has no direct insight into Henry’s thoughts and feelings. His words and actions, however,…
Night by Tatyana Tolstaya – Themes
Society versus the Individual Alexei and Mamochka live in a cramped and noisy communal apartment in Moscow. They must share their bathing, toilet, and cooking facilities with all of their neighbors—none of whom seems to like the mother and her son. Mamochka instructs Alexei to make sure he doesn’t touch anything in the bathroom when…
Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov – Themes
Obsession The story of Nicholai is one of single-minded determination. In Nicholai’s case, he acquires the subject of his obsession, a small farm that allows him to lead a simple life in the country. Ivan comments, “Once a man gets a fixed idea, there’s nothing to be done.” Nicholai equates the lifestyle he longs for…
The Eskimo Connection – Themes
Loneliness In “The Eskimo Connection” both Alden and Emiko are victims of loneliness, although in different ways. Emiko’s husband is dead, and she describes herself in terms of what she has lost: her husband and her poetry. As “an aging Nisei widow in Los Angeles with several children, three still at home, whose main avocation…
Don’t Look Now – Daphne du Maurier – Themes
The Supernatural The story is, at its core, a tale about seeing and talking with the dead, as well as about psychic visions and premonitions. Laura and John have lost their daughter but meet up with a blind woman who has visions of the dead child and can hear her warnings to her father. John’s…
The Destructors by Graham Greene – Themes
Innocence The boys in “The Destructors” are in their teens, which is the age at which childish innocence is gradually left behind in favor of worldliness and sophistication. For the boys in the story, however, their innocence is already gone, replaced by cynicism, selfishness, and rebelliousness. When Mr. Thomas arrives home early, T. is surprised…