The story “Homework” by Helen Simpsonis written in the form of a dialogue between a mother and her son and raises issues of schooling, raising children, family relationships, etc.
The son is thirteen. He comes home from school and tells his mother that he has to write an essay about an event that changed his life. The mother agrees to help him to write a story about his parents divorce.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/06/25/homework-8
“One Autumn Night” by Maxim Gorky is a story-memory. Here Gorky talks about his impressions of “women’s first kisses.” There is no condemnation of the fallen woman here.
Natasha is still too young to realize her fall. The hero feels pity for her; it is Natasha who warms his heart with her sincerity, simplicity, and sympathy. The writer does not indicate the way out, he is only bitterly aware of the fact that reality can be a “heavy and bad dream.”
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://americanliterature.com/author/maxim-gorky/short-story/one-autumn-night
The story “The Sound Machine” by Roald Dahl told about a man who was passionate about sound. He created the theory that there are many sounds in the world, and people are unable to hear them due to high frequencies.
The author explained what would happen if a person could understand the feelings of other organisms, such as trees or flowers. The scream of a tree is worse than a human scream, because it sounds scared, monotonous, and voiceless.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1949/09/17/the-sound-machine
The story "The Winter Sound” by Herbert Ernest Bates tells the simple story of a woman who has entered into adulthood. The only creature close to her is a small poodle, which she trained to look at other dogs with disdain and mockery. The dog’s “snobbery” became a reflection of the owner’s internal perception of the world around her.
The author described the main character’s casual acquaintance with a man, who unexpectedly appeared at the house at the end of September.
The story is simple, unremarkable, in general, the most ordinary, without intrigue and strong shocks.
Bates is like British Chekhov: the same short, laconic phrases, detailed description of everyday scenes and an abundance of dialogues. An absence of moralizing and attempts to moralize, subtle authorial irony and dispassionate narration, devoid of any emotions.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://vk.com/doc19855333_676160648?hash=oyChIT0gL3ABWrfSJ4ZhYqJkP4nhmAEAZdTa2CCyGYo&dl=Ksprb02EakO8UTDEvqL4m8yT95FCR3rZ3AltfcrUJUz&api=1&no_preview=1
The story "Flood Show" by Charles Baxter includes lots of descriptions of everyday life of a small city. The narration is full of allegories such as signs related to memories of the main character.
The plot tells about a man who almost drowns trying to cross a flooded river to reunite with his ex-wife. It takes ostensibly strange turns to get to his sentimental conclusions.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/95jun/flood.htm
The story «The Skylight Room» by O. Henry masterfully condemns human callousness, egoism, which is combined with the humiliation of human dignity.
The main character is the girl who lives on the very top of the house is in a stuffy, cramped attic with sloping bare walls, so reminiscent of a coffin, and a single window. Here live people who are not able to pay much money for rent.
This girl manages to find an outlet even in such a gloomy attic. An outlet that saved her even in the most difficult moments.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/the-skylight-room
