Course Description

This course explores the rich diversity of the short story form through a global lens. By engaging with narratives from diverse regions—including the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia—students will cultivate the ability to analyse cultural perspectives, themes, and narrative styles. The course is designed to  encourage deep critical thought and cross-cultural empathy.

Read this Global Literature - Short Stories: How to Get the Most Out of Class guide before you choose this course and to help you get the most out of it. 

Classes

🌎 Introduction to Global Literature: Short Stories

This class explains what literature is. Students learn about different kinds of literature and discuss what makes global literature special. We look at why short stories are different from other literature and how they can change people and the world.

🇺🇲 USA: The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry

The story of a young couple, Jim and Della, who are financially struggling but deeply in love. Each sacrifices their most prized possession to buy a Christmas gift for the other. The story highlights the irony and depth of their love, as the gifts become materially meaningless but spiritually priceless.

🇷🇺 Russia: The Bet, Anton Chekhov

A lawyer and a banker wager over the value of life imprisonment versus capital punishment. The lawyer stays in solitary confinement for fifteen years, finding greater wisdom and disdain for materialism. The story explores greed, human nature, and the transformative power of knowledge.

🇬🇧 UK: The Signal-Man, Charles Dickens

A short story about a railway signalman haunted by foreboding visions that precede tragic events. The story culminates tragically when the signalman is killed by a train, implying he had seen a ghostly premonition of his own demise.

🇫🇷 France: The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant

A tale about Mathilde Loisel, who borrows a necklace to appear wealthy at a ball but loses it. She and her husband incur massive debts to replace it, only to discover years later that the original was a cheap imitation.

🇿🇦 South Africa: The Suit, Can Themba

Set in apartheid-era South Africa, Philemon discovers his wife Matilda is having an affair. As punishment, he forces her to treat her lover's left-behind suit as an honoured guest. The story highlights the complexities of love, guilt, and retribution.

🇦🇷 Argentina: The Continuity of Parks, Julio Cortázar

A captivating story blending reality and fiction. A man reads a novel that gradually merges with his own reality, culminating in a twist where the narrative he reads unfolds in his own life.

🇯🇵 Japan: The Nose, Ryunosuke Akutagawa

The story of a Buddhist priest named Zenchi, self-conscious about his exceptionally long nose. He tries various methods to reduce it, but the tale humorously reveals that his nose returns to its original size, reflecting themes of vanity and self-acceptance.

🇮🇳 India: The Tiger King, Kalki

An Indian monarch tries to defy a prophecy that he will be killed by a tiger by hunting 100 of them. After killing 99, he dies from an infection caused by a wooden toy tiger, fulfilling the prophecy in an ironic twist about the futility of outwitting fate.

🇩🇪 Germany: The Judgement, Franz Kafka

We explore Kafka's surreal themes and direct prose. This story delves into the struggle of individuals against overwhelming systems and parental authority, reflecting alienation, existential anxiety, and the questioning of reality.

ⵣ Berber: My Mother, Fadhma Amrouche

A narrative exploring the life of the author's mother, focusing on her struggles and resilience. It reflects on character, identity, and the cultural context of her life in Algeria.

🇨🇳 China: The True Story of Ah Q, Lu Xun

A satirical novella portraying the life of Ah Q, a delusional character in early 20th-century China. The story critiques the social and political inadequacies of the time, with Ah Q representing the tragic consequences of ignorance and misplaced pride.

🇨🇴 Colombia: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Gabriel García Márquez

A decrepit, winged old man appears in a couple's backyard. Despite being thought an angel, he is mistreated and exploited. The story explores human nature, the supernatural, and the line between the ordinary and the miraculous.

🇲🇽 Mexico: Tell Them Not to Kill Me, Juan Rulfo

An elderly man pleads for mercy after being arrested for a murder committed years ago. His son tries to intervene, but the relentless nature of justice leaves his fate uncertain. Themes include guilt, retribution, and the passage of time.

🇳🇬 Nigeria: Girls at War, Chinua Achebe

Set during the Nigerian Civil War, this story explores the moral decay and challenges faced by individuals. This final session concludes with a review of the course themes and a summary of student learning outcomes.

Countries covered in this course

Here's a list of the countries covered in the Global Literature: Short Stories syllabus, along with the corresponding authors and stories: