Few books have the ability to astound readers with their portrayal of austere social conventions and ludicrous mores as Jane Austen’s masterpiece Pride and Prejudice does. Written a good many decades ago in a time that seems so far removed from ours that we question the logic behind wanting to read it in the first place, this 400-page novel is considered a novel of manners whose simple plot exposes more than the romantic story which it is clothed in would have readers believe.  

Alice Walker's story Everyday Use is intriguing after a first read. Simplistic in its plot, it conceals a deeper inquiry into what ties objects to abstract concepts people hold so dear: tradition, family, our roots, awareness of self, social standing. And why would someone find it intriguing, you might ask? Well, because many wouldn't see the idea of lending value to a discussion of mundane objects put to everyday use as something worth writing a story about.  Notwithstanding, Walker takes us down the road of careful contemplation, turning our eyes and minds to those things that make up our daily lives, whether passed down from generation to generation or bought to fill homes (with what residents deem) a sense of happiness. What Walker possibly wants to bring to the fore is the question: "Why do we have what we have and how do we treat it?" Are possessions in the service of aestheticism and decor, or does our toil give them the needless beauty we nonetheless asc...

When a wife dies and leaves her husband her diary, all is possible. In Gil bert Clandon's case, the legacy his wife leaves him is much more than he could ever have imagined.  Virgi nia Woolf signs an exceptional short story which questions the foundations of marriage, people's need for communication by any means possible a nd their inclusion in a mutually beneficial partnership . When one reneges on that contract, the other will seek new outlets to grow , as p ersonal d evelopment in any marriage is inevitable. If that development is undertaken without any consideration for one's spouse, then problems will unavoidably ensue.

Some stories you know will be great the minute you read their title. Combine this fact with the name of their author and the result is a fireworks display.  Roald Dahl has written some of the most memorable stories in the last century because of their quirkiness and deep sense of raw reality disguised in simple, straight-forward prose. And like any good classic short stories, his behave in a way that make readers search for an alternative reality that will explain the whys and wherefores of human behavior. Patrick Maloney tells his pregnant wife he's leaving her. "What will Mary do about it?" is the question in a reader's mind and how is this tied to the title of the story? As is plain, from the get-go, questions arise that grow in number as the story progresses and leave us either giggling at the end of it alongside Mary or wriggling uneasily in our seats.

Relationships between parents and their children are never easy. All families have their ups and downs, their moments of crisis, periods of serenity, intervals of strife and discord. Children's development sees to it that nothing remains static for too long. In My Oedipus Complex , O'Connor portrays precisely such a moment in a child's life when awareness grows and the canvas of life begins to acquire dabs of disappointment . P oor Larry realizes he has a father and a baby brother to contend with.  Unlike what one might expect from a coming-of-age tale, t he maturity of the story is not found in its characters but in O'Connor's ability to leave aside his traumatic childhood and focus on a constructive message. He could have easily depicted the father as the drunk in his life who couldn't keep a job but was supported by a wife who cleaned houses so the family would not starve. He could have idolized the mother or fashioned her after his own, suffering in...