A SELECTION SHORT STORIES FOR BA,BSC

6- THE HAPPY PRINCE
(BY: OSCAR WILD)
(Prof: Rana Qasim Anwar)

The happy prince and the little swallow gain and esthetic pleasure by helping others. A little swallow does not migrate with his relative from England to Egypt because he involves in the love a beautiful reed. Therefore, when he feels isolation he has to see off the reed because it refuses to fly with him. Thus he flies and arrives in the feet of the statue of the happy prince. Once the statue was called the happy prince by his countries in his lifetime because he lived in the sans souci palace. He never saw sorrow. After his death, his statue was fixed on the highest column of the city. The statue was made with astounding jewels and gold. Now the people come and admire the statue of the happy prince’s beauty. They think him weathercock or an angle. On the other hand, now the prince is not happy because he has seen the miserable condition of the people. He longs to help them but can’t. Thus he cannot help weeping. On the arrival of the little swallow, he begins to help the poor people. Both by helping them, sacrifice their lives and beauty. The dead body of the bird and the leaden heart of the statue are thrown away. But ALLAH and His angles like them. This fantasy evokes us a lot to help others. Real satisfaction lies in helping others.


7- THE TELL TALE HEART
(BY: E.A POE)
(Prof: Rana Qasim Anwar)

The narrator elaborates that his landlord was an old man who was very king hearted to him he and the old man lived alone in the house. The narrator likes the old man but the old man’s eye makes his blood run cold. His eye is as if it were a vulture eye. There is blue film over it, and is always full with yellow liquid. The narrator is too sensitive. Thus, whenever he sees his eye, he terrifies. With the passage of time, he resolves to kill the old man, to get ride of his vulture eye. He goes to his room every midnight with great precaution. But returns useless because finds his eye closed. For seven nights he practice the same. On 8th night, he goes and finds his eye opened. Thus, his anger starts to increase. He hears the terrified heart beating of the old man in muffled sound. He drags the old man and kills him. Only one cry of the old man is heard, his heart ceases to beat. He chops his dead body into pieces and buries into the floor. Every thing is washed away. A little later, three policemen come there and investigate him about the cry. He cleverly faces them by sitting on the premises. He hears the muffled sound, which increases steadily. He cries and shows the dead body. He is declared mad but is not but too much sensitive. The suspense is horrible in the story.


8- ARABY
(BY: JAMES JOYCE)
(Prof: Rana Qasim Anwar)

The narrator elaborates the discussion about his love feelings with his playmate, Mangan’s sister. He loves her passionately. She is like a shadow and the protagonist is running behind her. He is shy by nature thus he can not discuss his love feelings with her. He forgets to play. He has lost the interest in books but only one thing is there before him as a beautiful reflection and that is the charming figure of Mangan’s sister. He does not want to hear the noise of a bazaar but all the time wishes to involve in his confused adoration of love. Once he ask her to accompany him to Araby bazaar but she cannot go. Araby is a bazaar of outstanding things. He promises her to bring as expensive and beautiful gift for her. Hw longs to go on Saturday and demand money from his uncle. He is fixed in many types of frustration and waits for Saturday. Therefore on Saturday night, his uncle gives him 5 florins too late. He rushes toward the bazaar in passive mood. But half of the bazaar is closed down and the available gift for porcelain vase is out of his reach. Thus he returns is dejected mood. The dark bazaar and the deserted train become the symbol of his dispersing feelings of love. No one recognizes his sincere love.



9- THE NECKLACE
(BY: GUY DE MAUPASENT)
(Prof: Rana Qasim Anwar)

We ought to be contented. This story tells us the same through the stub-born as well adamant woman, Matilda and her hen-pecked husband, Loisal. Matilda is a very beautiful and attractive woman but unfortunately she born in a poor family of clerks and married to a clerk, Loisal. He loves his wife a lot but she hates the dull and drab routine of her life. Poverty has surrounded her and she dreams of rich and aristocratic life. Loisal tries his level best to pacify his wife through every possible way. Therefore, Matilda cannot help weeping. One day, he brings an invitation card of a dance party at the minister’s residence. He gives her 400 francs to purchase a dress. He suggests her to borrow some jewelry from her friend Mrs.Jinnie. She borrows a beautiful and astounding diamond necklace. She looks the most beautiful in the party but loses the necklace on returning. Hence they have to pay 36000 Francs to purchase a new necklace. Loisal and Matilda have to do over work to return the debt. Within ten years, they seem older than their ages but her girlfriend tells in the end that the necklace was fake. Thus, they are punished more than the crime, they committed.



10- THE DUCHESS AND THE JEWELER
(BY: VIRGINIA WOOLF)
(Prof: Rana Qasim Anwar)

Oliver bacon is a famous jeweler of London. He was born in poor family. Now he is a rich man. His only weakness is that he likes to be invited by rich. He is pleased to see the rich requesting him for help. Once Duchess of Lombourne comes to him to sell some false pearls. Bacon takes one of the pearls between his fingers and beings to examine if it is real or false. The Duchess is very clever. She says that she is hard up those days. She requests him to help her. Then she begins to talk about her beautiful daughter Diana. She invites Bacon to a party, which is going to be held at the weekend. She tells Bacon that Diana will also present in the party. The thought of Diana and the condition of the Duchess confuses him. He feels himself important. He imagines himself to be in the party. He writes “twenty” and then stops. He looks at the pearls. He sees towards his mother’s picture. Then he thinks of the function to be attended by the Prime Minister other gentry above all Diana. At last, he writes, “twenty thousand” on the cheque and hands it over to the Duchess. So we see that the Duchess takes advantage of his complexity and is able to sell her false pearls. Later on Bacon discovers that the pearls are not real, and feels sorry.
Virginia demonstrates the tussle in the mind of a man. Virginia throws light on the moral decadence of the English elite class of her days. The poor but hardworking people are getting high rich.