Civil Peace

Writer: Chinua Achebe, Nigerian writer Characters: Jonathan Iwegbu His wife and three children The thieves The neighbors Summary: After the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970) ends, Jonathan Iwegbu feels very happy and lucky to find himself, his wife and their three children still alive. He recovers his bicycle which he had hidden burying under the soil... Continue Reading →

An Astrologer’s Day

Writer: R. K. Narayan, Indian writer Characters: An astrologer Guru Nayak The astrologer’s wife Summary: An astrologer earns his living through the business of fortune telling. With his forehead smeared with sacred ash and vermilion, and a saffron-colored turban around his head, he sits under a tree in a park and gives service to his... Continue Reading →

The Treasure in the Forest

Genre: Short story Writer: H. G. Wells (1866-1946), English novelist, journalist, sociologist, and historian, best known for science fiction novels. Theme: Consequence of greed Characters: 1. Evans 2. Hooker 3. Chang-hi Summary One night in a forest Evans and Hooker, two English wastrels, overhear three Chinamen talk about lost Spanish treasure. A Chinaman, named Chang-hi,... Continue Reading →

My Old Home

Writer: Lu Xun (1881-1936), a Chinese writer Characters: Lu Xun Lu Xun’s mother Runtu Second Sister Yang (the Beancurd Beauty) Honger (Xun’s nephew), and Shuisheng (Runtu’s son) Theme: conflict between memories/expectations and realities Summary: The autobiographical story “My Old Home” by a Chinese writer, Lu Xun, depicts the conflict between memories or expectations and realities.... Continue Reading →

The Oval Portrait

The Oval Portrait is a short horror story written by Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer (1809-1849). In the story, an artist wants to make a portrait of his young wife, but becomes so obsessed with his work that he doesn’t realize his wife is dying meanwhile. The story features the relationship between art and... Continue Reading →

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