Short Stories on Wednesdays #27 January 18, 2012

Welcome to the 2012 edition of Short Stories on Wednesdays!

Short Stories on Wednesdays is a weekly event intended to encourage folk to read short stories, a much neglected literary form. Every Wednesday you are encouraged to share what you’ve read with us in the comment section. You can even post links to any review of short stories you have made through the course of the week. Every second Wednesday we have a guest poster and/or a short story giveaway. Every fourth Wednesday we have a theme round which we try to choose a story to read. This, of course, is not compulsory.

Note for next Wednesday theme: Next week’s theme for our short story reads is A Letter. You can interpret it to mean anything. Am looking forward to seeing what you all get to read around this theme!

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“A Gold Slipper” by Willa Cather
This was my very first Willa Cather read, and I think I’m really going to enjoy reading her works. I quite enjoyed her style and I’m curious about the America she writes about. From what I’ve read in this story, she sounds a bit like Edith Wharton, though I didn’t care much for the latter and her style.

But I’ve gone way off the point and haven’t introduced the story yet!

“A Gold Slipper” is about a businessman McKann being dragged off for a concert. He is quite uninterested in the singer, and finds himself uncomfortably seated in the concert hall, which adds to his discomfort. This famous singer, Kitty Ayrshire, notices his boredom and is obviously curious as to why he is so. A few hourse later McKann is in a hurry to get to the train station and he happens upon a stranded Ayrshire. On requestion he takes are into his taxi and to the station, just in time to catch the train. Once on the train Ayrshire accosts him eager to know what it was about her concert that he did not like. McKann is soon rattling off common prejudices of his kind to music and artists on the whole. Ayrshire is not offended…she is however, very curious, and a little disappointed when she realises she has nothing new to learn from McKann. They soon end their conversation, with Kitty Ayrshire quite sure that McKann would dream of her. In the morning he wakes up in his berth to find one of the golden slippers Ayrshire had been wearing at the concert, lying next to him. He tries to get rid of it but it lands up at his closet at home. He decides to keep it and puts it into his vault. Five years later we see McKann, ill and of hardly any use at all in his company. Aryshire and her golden slipper seem to have unmanned him.

I read this story from a collection of hers titled Youth and the Bright Medusa. If you would like to read it here is an online text.

What short stories have you all been reading this past week? And don’t forget! Next week’s theme is “a letter”.

Act Two of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Discussion) January 18, 2012

 

A brief summary of Act II

This Act takes place in the woods beginning with a chance meeting between Puck and another fairy. From their brief conversation we learn that the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, are having a big fight. Titania has a little Indian boy that Oberon wants desperately as his page. Now, both the king’s court and the queen’s are heading toward each other, on their way to attend the marriage of Theseus and Hyppolyta.

Then come in Oberon and Titania, and we further learn why Titania is unwilling to give the boy up. He is apparently the son of a dear friend that she has taken under her protection. We also learn, that because of the fight between her and Oberon, the elements are going haywire. The queen is willing to call a truce but Oberon is determined to have the boy. So, once they part, Oberon hatches a plan to humiliate his queen. He sends Puck out for a special flower whose juice, when squeezed into the eyes of one causes a deep love in the person for the first living thing that comes its way.

With Puck off to collect this flower, Oberon witnesses the scene with Demetrius and Helena. The former declares his absolute hatred for the latter, but that latter follows him around like an abused puppy. Feeling sorry for her Oberon asks Puck (when Puck returns) to squeeze some of that love juice into Demetrius’ eyes while the girl is near, so that she is the first thing he sees.

Oberon completes his business with Titania, and Puck goes looking for this “Athenien” lad, and comes across Lysander and Hermia who are fast asleep at a short distance from each other. Thinking Lysander is the one, Puck squeezed the juice into his eyes. Demetrius and Helena pass by, and Helena espies Lysander. Thinking him dead, she shakes him awake. As soon as he opens his eyes and sees Helena, he begins declaring his love for her. Feeling scorned and humiliated, for she is sure Lysander is making fun of her inability to attract Demetrius, she turns and runs. Lysander follows and Hermia wakes up feeling alone and frightened.

Discussion questions:

1. What is your opinion about the quarrel between Oberon and Titania?
2. What do you think about Helena’s state of mind?
3. Where the young pairs of lovers are concerned two points of ‘virtue’ are touched upon — that of maidens not being out on their own and that of sex after marriage. What do you think of how these themes are dealt with within the context of the story?
4. If you compare and contrast the relationship between Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, and Oberon and Titania, what would you say?
5. Have you come across any other allusions to famous myths? Could you tell us what they are and give us a bit of background if possible?
6. Are there any lines, passages that struck you (either negatively or positively)?
7. Have you made any other observation that you would like to share?

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