Required reading was always something I despised due to the analytical nature of tearing apart the inner workings of the piece of literature. However, after experiencing fellow classmates’ literary interpretations of stories and books that had never crossed my mind, it opened my eyes to the wonderful world of short stories. Because they are less of a commitment, the literary elements of a short story have a stylistic way of incorporating meaningful motifs without tangential meandering. Every story on this list shaped my academic understanding of literature and encapsulated a deeper meaning that spoke to aspects of my life as I first read them.
1. “Hills Like White Elephants” – Ernest Hemingway
Written by Ernest Hemingway in 1927, “Hills Like White Elephants” incorporates a sense of self within the short story as Hemingway highlights the raw emotions shared by a couple, told in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are overhearing the couple’s conversation. Hemingway intentionally leaves out many details of the parameters of the conversation, leaving the reader to interpret the nature of their relationship and measure the emotions of the couple based on their rigid interactions with each other.
2. “The Story of an Hour” – Kate Chopin
“The Story of an Hour” explores the turmoil a woman undergoes once she learns her husband’s train derailed and crashed, leaving her to come to terms with being a widow. Louise is a woman unbeknownst to independence, as the story takes place during a time where a woman’s duties are to her husband and family first. Her newly found independence perplexes her at first, but almost instantly, Louise is able to optimize her situation, choosing instead to relish in the opportunity she had been presented with to learn and grow. Had Louise known what was waiting for her at the end of the story, she would have likely been more apt to mourning her unfortunate circumstance.
3. “Harrison Bergeron” – Kurt Vonnegut
Harrison Bergeron is a science fiction, dystopian short story that imagines what unalienable, absolute equality would look like. The Handicap General bestows special handicaps that hinder any advanced performance in individuals, such as above-average abilities to sing well, run fast or problem solve. The idea of a standard being met in society so as to not outcast anyone presents a dark and twisted fantasy that resonates on a level that emphasizes oneness and unification through hindrances created by the government. And, though Bergeron does not agree with this system, having witnessed its faults firsthand, he must come to the conclusion that his “imperfections” are what lead him to question if this egalitarian approach truly makes everyone equal, and whether or not this equality is beneficial.
4. “Sonny’s Blues” – James Baldwin
“Sonny’s Blues” is one of James Baldwin’s most renowned short works of fiction. It details the seemingly tumultuous lifestyle of the narrator’s brother, Sonny. From a young age, Sonny is depicted by the narrator as defiant, lazy and overly-optimistic with his goals to the point of failure. The narrator’s fears come to fruition when they read about Sonny’s drug arrest. However, as the narrator will soon learn, which can also be identifiable with the reader, Sonny’s musical aspirations are the driving force in a life he considers to be rich. Sonny invokes a sense of hope in readers that speaks to the inner dialogue of desperation and a desire to be understood in a world that won’t attempt to make sense of people like himself.
5. “Interpreter of Maladies” – Jhumpa Lahiri
“Interpreter of Maladies” examines the obsessive nature of a tour guide/interpreter, Mr. Kapasi, who becomes infatuated with the mother of the family he is guiding. Mrs. Das, the woman of his affection, is married, but humors Mr. Kapasi mostly to be polite, but also to project her feelings of guilt over her affair that resulted in this birth of one of her children. The lines between communication link with the romantization of the beautiful place the family tours, as well as with the interactions between them. Mrs. Das is unable to talk of the guilt she has felt over her affair, but she realizes that placing the burden of knowing on other people is no way to rid her life of burdens.
If you are interested in picking up a great, easy-to-tackle read, consider picking up one of these short stories!