In this section, you will find the amazing short stories that own the power to change your behaviour in a positive direction.
The Accidental Tourist By Bill Bryson INTRODUCTION This is a story written by Bill Bryson about his adventures on planes. During these flights, he has had a number of negative incidents. He recounts all of these events, and we learn how he fails to enjoy his air flights and, despite being a frequent traveller, is … Read more
Naga-Mandala by Girish Karnad About the Play Girish Karnad, a prominent Indian-English dramatist, is the author of the play Naga-Mandala. Karnad learned about Kannada mythology from his tutor, Professor A. K. Ramanujan, who inspired the play. “Nagamandala” is a ceremonial (cobra worship) practised in the southern Karnataka coastal areas. In 1988, the play was published. … Read more
Summary of Sleeping Beauty In this post, we will summarise and analyse Charles Perrault’s ‘The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood’ . This 1697 version of the well-known fairytale begins similarly to the story that is still recounted to children today, but then takes a darker turn. PLOT We can deduce from the story that it … Read more
The Selfish Giant Study Guide Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant is a story about human compassion for animals and nature. Summary of The Selfish Giant The Giant’s garden was rather lovely. It was a favourite with children. They used to enter the vast magnificent garden with flowers and fruit trees every afternoon on their way … Read more
Summary of The Map of Love A “Map” is a graphical representation that emphasises the links between pieces of a given thing. The title “the Map of Love” implies that love does not exist in a single location, but rather in numerous parts of the world. Thus, the title refers to love relationships all over … Read more
The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield About the Author Katherine Mansfield 1888–1923 was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the third child of a wealthy merchant father and a socially-minded mother. Her family relocated to the rural town of Karori when she was five, where she excelled in the artistic pursuits of writing and playing the … Read more
Misery by Anton Chekhov Introduction Anton Chekhov, a prolific short storey writer and dramatist, is known for his wit and keen observations of human nature. His characters appear to be based on real people. His stories are a commentary on human nature. Anton Chekhov’s story ‘Misery’ deals with human insensitivity to the pain of others. … Read more
The Errors of Santa Claus by Stephen Leacock Stephen Leacock is best known for his short stories and is a humourist, educator, lecturer, and author. The story “The Errors of Santa Claus” is included in his collection Frenzied Fiction (1918). The storey satirises the current trend of Christmas gift giving. Gifting is a reenactment of … Read more
The Lamp at Noon by Sinclair Ross Introduction James Sinclair Ross was one of the most important Canadian novelists and short story writers of the twentieth century. He exquisitely captured the bleakness found on the Canadian prairie, the callousness of nature’s powers, and the futility of man’s effort in such settings. His writings are well-structured … Read more
At The Church Door by Guy de Maupassant Guy de Maupassant is a prolific writer, a master of the short storey, and a representative of the naturalist literary school. Maupassant is heavily influenced by the French author Flaubert. He was probably the most versatile and brilliant among the galaxy of novelists who enriched French literature … Read more
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde is primarily renowned for his humour and command of the English language. The storey “The Selfish Giant” bears all of Wilde’s hallmarks: it is witty, inventive, and hilarious, and it is a wonderful piece of literary art. Because the storey is intended to be viewed as a … Read more
Ransom of the Red Chief by O.Henry Sam and Bill were two friends who resided in a remote part of Alabama. They had amassed a total of $600. They required only $2,000 to purchase some land. They intended to abduct Mr Ebenezer Dorset’s ten-year-old son in Summit, a tiny town. They identified a well-known cave … Read more