Stories Flashcards
- “The Elephant in the Village of the Blind”
Villagers who are blind encounter an elephant and touch different parts: trunk, tusk, legs, etc.
• Each villager believes the part they touch defines the whole elephant (one says it’s like a pillar, another says it’s like a fan).
• Moral: Partial knowledge can lead to misunderstanding; collaboration can lead to truth.
“20/20” by Linda Brewer
“20/20” by Linda Brewer
• Bill and Ruthie take a road trip across the country.
• Bill sees things practically (flat plains, normal objects), while Ruthie imagines fantastical things (fields of babies, buffalo made of fur).
• Ending: Despite differences in how they see the world, they share a connection, showing how perception differs but doesn’t always divide people.
“Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie
Alexie, a Spokane Native American, learns to read using Superman comics.
• He describes how reading saved him from the oppression and stereotypes of Native American life.
• Key fact: He becomes a writer and returns to reservations to teach children the power of reading.
“And of Clay We Are Created” by Isabel Allende
• A volcanic eruption traps a young girl, Azucena, in a mudslide.
• Rolf Carlé, a TV reporter, tries to save her, forming a deep emotional bond with her over several days.
• Ending: Azucena dies, and Rolf is left to confront his own past traumas that he had been avoiding.
“Gooseberries” by Anton Chekhov
Ivan Ivanich tells a story about his brother, Nikolai, who dreams of owning a farm with gooseberries.
• Nikolai works hard, buys a farm, and becomes self-satisfied, though his happiness is built on others’ suffering.
• Message: The pursuit of personal happiness can blind people to the suffering of others.
The Lives of the Dead” by Tim O’Brien
Narrator reflects on the Vietnam War and his childhood love, Linda, who died young.
• He uses stories to keep dead people alive, blurring the lines between reality and memory.
• Key fact: Storytelling is portrayed as a way to make sense of death and keep memories alive.
“The Plague of Doves” by Louise Erdrich
• A family is murdered in a small town, and Native American men are wrongly accused and lynched.
• Key fact: The event has lasting effects on the town, with secrets, guilt, and trauma passed down through generations.
• Themes: Racial injustice, generational trauma, community secrets.
- “The Shroud” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
• A mother grieves excessively for her dead son.
• The boy’s spirit appears, asking his mother to stop crying because it’s preventing him from resting.
• Ending: The mother learns to let go, and the boy’s spirit is finally at peace.
King of the Bingo Game” by Ralph Ellison
A man, struggling to survive, plays a bingo game, desperate to win money for his wife’s medical treatment.
• He spins the wheel and holds onto the button, believing he can control his fate.
• Key fact: Despite his hopes, he is ultimately powerless, reflecting his lack of control over his life in a racist society.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
Connie, a vain and rebellious teenager, is home alone when a strange man, Arnold Friend, arrives.
• Arnold manipulates and threatens her, revealing he knows personal details about her life.
• Key fact: The story ends ambiguously, with Connie walking out to Arnold, representing her loss of innocence and vulnerability.
. “I’d Love You to Want Me” by Joyce Carol Oates
• A wife notices her husband begins calling her by another woman’s name, signaling he may be losing his memory or suffering from dementia.
• She tries to understand why, feeling both pain and sympathy for him.
• Key fact: The story deals with themes of memory loss, love, and identity within relationships.
“Interesting Facts” by Adam Johnson
A woman diagnosed with cancer reflects on her life, her family, and her sense of identity.
• She struggles with how her illness has distanced her from her husband and daughter.
• Key fact: The story is a mix of dark humor and poignant insights into mortality and how illness shapes relationships.
Barn Burning” by William Faulkne
• Sarty, a young boy, watches his father, Abner, burn barns as a form of revenge against those he feels wronged him.
• Sarty is torn between loyalty to his father and doing the right thing.
• Ending: Sarty warns the barn’s owner and runs away, choosing morality over family loyalty.
- “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara
Miss Moore takes a group of kids to a fancy toy store in Manhattan, where they see toys that cost more than their families’ yearly income.
• The children start to realize the economic disparities between their poor neighborhood and the wealthier world.
• Key fact: Sylvia, the protagonist, is angry but determined to learn from the experience and use it to her advantag
- “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara
Miss Moore takes a group of kids to a fancy toy store in Manhattan, where they see toys that cost more than their families’ yearly income.
• The children start to realize the economic disparities between their poor neighborhood and the wealthier world.
• Key fact: Sylvia, the protagonist, is angry but determined to learn from the experience and use it to her advantag
