Themes

Parent/Child Relationships: "The Shawl" & "The Metamorphosis"
Gender Conflicts: "Child's Play" & "Doll House"
Love and Relationships: "Doll House" & "The Dead"
Revenge and Honor: "Child's Play"
Power/Powerlessness: "Ladies and Gentlemen" & "The Fly" & "Dolls House"
Death/Mortality: "Ladies/Gentlemen," "The Dead," & "The Fly"
Changing Traditions: "Dolls House," "Child's Play," & "The Metamorphosis"

Mansfield - "The Fly"

In "The Fly," there is a question of what the fly actually represents. In my opinion, I believe it represents the son of the boss who was killed in the war. The boss drips ink on him, representing the hardships of the war. The fly cannot withstand the torture and eventually dies. All the while, the boss speaks encouraging words to the fly, as if these are the words he wishes he could have said to his son.

They way in which this story is told also provides the reader with a feeling of odd casualness when Woodifield tells the boss that his daughters saw the bosses son's grave the other day. He says that it's "Beautifully looked after" in a way that could be mirrored when describing a park or a nice landscape. This strange tone give the story a cold feel, as if death is no big deal.

 The place in which this story takes place also adds to the sort of cold feeling that this piece portrays. An office is not usually a representation of a warm setting - this is where the boss is when he hears about his son's grave. It is also where he kills the fly and forgets about his son altogether. The setting here could represent the fact that the boss has moved on from his grief and now only invests his time and emotion in his job - a business that his son was supposed to take over.

Child's Play - Ichiyo

"Child's Play" is a story that journeys through the lives of several young kids who live in the same town. The area is referred to as "the quarter" and houses a popular house of prostitutes. Midori is the main female protagonist of the story. Her sister, Omaki, is one of these prostitutes and the town believes that Midori will follow her footsteps. Midori expresses feelings for a character named Nobu, a scholar and future priest (like his father) who is mean to Midori in order that he might avoid ridicule for their flirtation. Nobu is convinced by Chokichi, the leader of the back-street gang, to join his "side." Chokichi is the fire chief's son who is selfish and proud. He eventually beats up a boy named Sangoro, a poor but well-liked character who Shota wants to join the main-street gang. Shota is the wealthy rent-collector who lives with his grandma. He is also the leader of the main-street gang and a friend of Midori.
These young characters all grow up in front of the readers eyes. The theme of this story, in my opinion, is the loss of innocence and growing up. Midori begins to "blush" at men as she immerses herself in the world of prostitution. Nobu becomes cold, and leaves for the seminary. Shota made his rent collections without singing his songs anymore. The reality of adulthood is presented to these once innocent characters
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It ended on a sad note but I enjoyed the development of the characters and the progression towards adulthood that the author illustrates. No single major even takes place, but it is the collection of small, individual events that make this story intriguing.

Borowski - "Ladies and Gentlemen, To The Gas Chamber"

This piece was very cold and disturbing. At first, I did not know what the author meant when he was describing Canada but after further reading I found its definition: The name given to the camp stores (as well as prisoners working there) where valuables and clothing taken from prisoners were sorted for dispatch to Germany. Like the nation of Canada, the store symbolized wealth and prosperity to the camp inmates. This where the narrator worked. He was overwhelmed by the car bringing in thousands of people to be striped of their things. Dead babies lay unclaimed in the car. Corpses are dragged out and thrown into the trucks to be cremated. The people think that "they are beginning a new life in the camp and they prepare themselves psychologically for a hard struggle for existence" (2786) but little do they know that they are destined to die immediately.
I found it interesting that the author had been in an extermination camp himself. It made more sense that the story would be so brutally descriptive and almost emotionless when describing the painful scenes of death and misery.

The Dead - James Joyce

Charcaters:
Gabriel - main character 
Lily - the caretaker's daughter
Miss Kate, Miss Julia: Gabriel's aunts, teach choir and dance
Mary Jane - lives with her aunts, plays the organ at church
Misses Morkan - holds the annual dance
Freddy Malins - the man they fear may show up drunk
Gretta Conroy - Gabriel's wife
Miss Ivors - dances with Gabriel, calls his a "West Briton"
Mr. Bartell D'Arcy - friend and singer at the dance

- There are three times in the story that Gabriel's self-image is challenged. The first is in the pantry with Lily when she makes a snide comment towards men saying, "The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you."
- The second time is when Gabriel is dancing with Miss Ivors and she informs him that she knows that he writes for The Daily Express, a conservative Dublin newspaper opposed to Irish independence. She calls him a "West Briton," an insulting name for an Irish man who supports the union with Britain.
- Finally, Gabriel is devastated after realizing that his wife, Gretta, has previously been in love with a man who died for her. A man named Michael Furey. Gabriel not only loses his passionate feelings for his wife on that night but he also comes to realize that he will never be able to live up to her old romance. The song that was playing back at the dance which stirred up Gretta's emotions about her old lover was called The Last of Aughrim.
- The story, as a whole, seems to be a very detailed account of mini-scenes that work as one. Nothing really big or exciting happens at one point in the story but it is rather more focused on the description of small moments that have deep meaning.
- in the author description on page 1944, it is described that "The Dead" represents four aspects of life, "childhood, adolescence, maturity, and public life." Another main part of writings by Joyce is that the end with an epiphany. In this case, Gabriel's epiphany is that he will never measure up to the man that his wife used to love. 

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka was a disturbing and confusing piece to read. It begins with the description of Gregor, a young man who wakes up one morning to find that he has turned into a giant beetle overnight. However, his main concern is not how or why this has happened, but rather how he is going to get to work that day. Not long after he awakes, the office manager from his work makes an appearance at his house to see why Gregor is late to work. The family, including his parents and sister, Grete, are greatly disturbed and wonder how the family will get by since Gregor had previously been the sole provider. As time goes on, Gregor remains in his room, ashamed and guilty of his new form. His sister is kind in the beginning, bringing him his favorite meals, but she eventually resorts to kicking in whatever old food she finds in the house. His room becomes a mess, his health declines. Gregor's father throws an apple at him that remains wedged into his side, rotting into his flesh. When three travelers are lodging at the family's house, Gregor shows himself, and the men are in shock. They demand their money back and threaten to report the house conditions. The family decides that they must get rid of Gregor. Grete explains to her parents that the bug cannot be her actual brother and they must dispose of him. On the night of this conversation, Gregor dies. During the time of Gregor's decline, his family actually prospers. His sister gains new responsibility, gets a job, and becomes a vivacious young woman who her parents are proud of. His father gains a job at the bank to help support the family. The mother sews high-end lingerie to make extra money as well. Although the family groans at their new responsibilities, they have become a much more well-rounded and productive household. Themes of the story include power, responsibility, and dependence.