"Things Fall Apart" By: Chinua Achebe

'Things Fall Apart" tells the story of a man named Okonkwo and how his life changes when faced with different obstacles. He begins as this strong warrior who was more than determined to not turn out anything like his father. He was very well-respected in his tribe and also admired. One of his shortcomings was that he never showed any type of feelings because he looked at as a sign of weakness. There were a few times in the story when he showed that softer side, but always in private. When he took part in the killing of his adpoted son, he saw it as doing right by the boy. When his daughter was sick, he watched over her even though he was not supposed to. Those two examples prove that he was definitely capable of expressing feelings, but didn't let it show based on his own selfish pride. Throughout the story you can see the rise and fall of Okonkwo and how it is affecting him. When he was exiled to his motherland, he felt like he was losing himself, because he didn't have the same power he once had. He had high hopes for his return to his tribe, but that was soon ruined when he realized that things were no longer the same. A possible theme for this novel could be power versus powerlessness. An example of this is when Okonkwo went from being one of the most important men in the tribe, to not being able to rally against the missionaries that were taking over. The battle that was primarily man vs. self became too much for him to handle and he had to take drastic measures. The men of the tribe had to discover their comrade hanging from a tree after he took his own life. Even though suicide was frowned upon in the tribe, it is believed that he would have rather shamed himself by committing suicide than to let the missionaries rule over him.

"The Namesake" By: Jhumpa Lahiri

When Jhumpa Lahiri wrote the book "The Namesake," it was clear that it was about the struggle of Gogol Ganguli and his attempts to find himself. But after reading the story, Gogol wasn't the only person trying to find himself. His mother, Ashima, also felt lost and had to search to find who she really was. When Ashima moved to America with her husband, she made sure she never forgot her Bengali heritage. She never considered America to be, but more of a place she was living for the time being. When her kids were born she was already nervous about them growing up in a lonely country, and did everything she could to make them feel comfortable. When Gogol was born and given his name, it was a special time for his parents, especially his father. But as Gogol grew older, he was not aware of the significance and despised his name. From the moment he changed his name to "Nikhil," things in his life began to slowly crumble. He spent his life trying to figure out where he belonged in the world and hurt quite a few people in the process. It was as if he was not sure whether he was American or Bengali and he felt like he had to choose. In actuality, he merely just needed to embrace the two harmoniously because they were both key factors in who he was. One example of his struggle was his relationships. Each one took a turn for the worse when both of his cultures were beginning to collide. His relationship with Max was a tricky one, because it was during that time that his father died and he showed tremendous guilt. He was so fixated on her world and her family that he completely ignored his own. When his father passed he tried to do a better job of accepting his Bengali culture, and it was then that he met Moushimi. They were married, but there problems arose because they were different and at the same time, very much alike. There loved was centered around their shared culture, but neither one of them truly knew who they were as an individual. As for Ashima, she wanted to stay true to her country no matter what. But as the story progressed she also showed moments of growth. For example, she became more supportive of her children's relationships when her culture didn't too much believe in true love. She didn't love her husband in the beginning, but their love grew over the years and it was very evident how much she cared about him. By the end, she was pretty much a new woman. She viewed things a tad bit differently. She never let go of her Bengali culutre, but she did make room for her new American one.

"The Overcoat" By: Nikolai Gogol

"The Overcoat" tells the story of a man who basically is defined by his overcoat. In the beginning of the story he is teased by his co-workers for his ratty old overcoat. When he finally decides to get a new one he becomes a different person inside and out. After leaving a party he is robbed of his new coat, which causes him to lose himself. In this story, it was as though Akakiy was allowing the overcoat to be more than something to keep him warm. He looked at it as more of a way to show his identity and what type of person he was. With his original coat, he was picked on and not really respected, but that all changed when his new coat was made. The fact that it took so much to get the new overcoat probably made it more special, but the person he transformed into was quite different. He began to feel like he was a part of society and no longer made fun of. However, when his coat was stolen and he was in need of help, no one was there for him. He lost that feeling of acceptance when people turned their backs on him. His identity was taken right along with the coat and it ended up killing him. When he became a ghost and started to seek his revenge, he somewhat gained that sense of self back, but it never got him the one thing that he wanted back, which was his overcoat.

"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" By: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This very imaginative story, that is a mixture of realism and fantasy, is about a couple who discover an old man with wings lying on their land. As the story goes on the couple begin to exploit the old man for their own benefit. People come from all over to see the winged creature and they charge admission. Once the town moves on to the next attraction, they no longer have a need for the old man. This story is one that can be interpreted in many different ways. One example is as a depiction of human nature and how human behavior effects others. The old man was treated as nothing more than a tourist attraction and the couple is using him for their own financial gain. The actions of the couuple show how humans can sometimes have a tendency to be selfish and ungrateful. When the old man was no longer popular to the town Pelayo and Elisenda looked at him as a nuisance. Even though the old man provided them with a new home, more money than they know what to do with and, and basically a better life than what they had before, they never showed any appreciation. Elisenda was glad to see him leave her life. Another example was the way the town treated the old man. To them he was a freak, not a real person, and that is exactly how they treated him. Since he failed to fulfill their need for attention, they were cruel to him. Since humans crave attention from others, the Spider Girl that came to town became a the favorite. The old man in the story may have been considered an angel to some, but to others he was just a dirty old man with wings. Determining what he is and his purpose for being there is just another part of the story to explore. There is not set explanation for this story and the mind is able to come up with as many interpretations as it wants.

Cynthia Ozick's-"The Shawl"

Could you ever imagine having a child and keeping them a secret beacause if anyone found out there could be severe consequences? What about having a child and trying to take care of them under the worst circumstances while trying to remian strong enough for the both of you? That is exactly the struggle that Rosa had in Cynthia Ozick's, "The Shawl." Rosa had a daughter named Magda who was only 15 months old when they were placed in the German concentration camp. Sh ehad to keep Magda a secret from the guards due to the fact she had no idea what would happen if they discvered her. They were barely given any food to eat, and the small amount that she had was given to Magda. She did everything in her power to make sure that at least her daughter's needs were met. There soon came a time when she was unable to produce breast milk and feed her because she was so weak from hunger. She then has no choice but to let her suck on the very shawl that was hiding her for some sort of nourishment. By sucking on the shawl, Magda also remains quiet and calm. It has now been dubbed as a magical shawl. One day Rosa's other daughter, Stella, could no longer stand the cold and took the shawl that was covering Magda. As Rosa sees that she may be discovered she runs to retrieve it as fast as she can to protect her baby. Unfortunately, she is to late and one of the soldiers took Magda away. She cried out for her mother, but there was nothing Rosa could do. She was forced to stand there and watch as the guard tossed her poor, innocent daughter into an electrified fence. In order to keep her composure she just placed the shawl in her mouth and began to suck on it. It was as though she wanted to recieve the same comfort that it provided for Magda. This story shows what great lengths parents, especially mothers, will go to for their children. No matter how much she suffered or how hungry she was, she kept going for her baby. The relationship between mother and child is one that can never be broken. It can withstand any hardship. It was clear that she thought the end was near, but she was not about to let that stop here from saving her daughter's life for one more day. 

Tadeusz Borowski-"Ladies and Gentlemen to the Gas Chamber"

Tadeuzs Borowski was one of the few that survived the horrific time period known as the Holocaust. After the ordeal he decided to put into writing what he was forced to go through. One story in particular was entitled, "Ladies and Gentlemen to the Gas Chamber. In the story he gives an account about how he helped lead poor unsuspecting people to the gas chambers in the concentration camps. Even though the main character does not have a name, it is believed that this is what happened from his point of view. He had to watch as people got off the train thinking that maybe there was a chance that they were going to get help, when in actuality they were going to die. And even though he knew the fate of these strangers, he had to keep it together and do his job. He didn't enjoy what he did and it made it sick, but he felt as though he had no choice. He just continued to lead more and more people to the chambers. The theme of this story is the idea that these killings were a neverending cycle. As people were sent to the chambers by the hundreds and thousands, another train would soon be coming to bring in more victims. It is stated in the story how once you entered, you would not be coming back out. After his experiences in the camps, Borowski was never the same. He later killed him self by gas because he just couldn't cope with the pain anymore. That dark period in out history is one that no one can forget, and reading the stories and watching the movies, just shows that the memories will never truly go away.

James Joyce's "The Dead"

"The Dead" is a story that emphasizes on the idea of love and relationships and what they really mean. The main character, Gabriel, is a man who is successful and thought of highly in his social circle. The story begins at Christmas time and he is attending an annual party thrown by his ederly aunts. While at the party, he has some unfortunate encounters with some of the people in attendance. He offended the young cleaning girl, he upset one of the ladies he was dancing with, he was involved in an awkward moment with his wife and aunts, he wasn't confident about his speech, and he ended the night by making his wife cry. The subject of death was mentioned quite often. For example, Gabriel thought about how things would be if one of his aunts died and how he would be forced to console the other. And in a surprising twist we learn that his wife that his wife used to be in love with a boy named Michael in her younger years and he never knew. This is where the theme of love and relationships can be tied in, because here is this man that married a woman that in actuality he didn't really know. Before they met she was in love with a boy who risked his life for her and he had done nothing that could even compete with that. Their relationship was not as strong as thought it was and he began to question if his wife even loved him at all. He forced to re-live that sad time in her life and then could not comfort her while she cried. And rather than take the blame for bringing back those memories, he just began to think about how he was affected and how his life could change. Relationships are founded on love and with Gabriel it was pretty clear that he was lacking. 

Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"

The story begins with Gregor Samsa waking up to the reality hat he has somehow morphed into a bug. While changing into a bug over night may seem strange to most people, Gregor was incredibly calm about the situation. While trying to adjust to his new body, his family was outside his room trying to figure out why he has yet to come out. He was going to be late for work which was definitely not like him at all. It was so unlike him, that even his boss showed up at his house to investigate the problem. We soon learn that Gregor is the sole provider of his entire family and by not being able to go to work is a more of a problem to him than being transformed into a bug. As the story continues Gregor's personality begins to change. He is no longer that hard working and determined man he once was. Instead, as time passes by he becomes more and more depressed due to the fact that his family has officially turned against him and aren't concerned about his well-being. Due to the events that unfold throughout the story, one learns that a possible theme is the true meaning of family. When Gregor was working hard to take care of his family, he was a hero. However, when he turned into a bug he became usless to them. One begins to wonder if his family even cared about him in the first place. It seems as though his family is what ultimately caused his death, because without them being there for him he felt all alone in the world.