Question

Select a short story written by any of the UAE writers. Read the story and find out the theme. Prepare a brief sketch of characters and the setting of the story.

Answer 1

Explanation:

If you’re a classical literature fan and fiction happens to be your favorite book genre, then this one is for you. First published in 1888 by one of London’s most renowned playwrights of the late 19th century, Oscar Wilde, The Remarkable Rocket is a short but fantastic tale from classical literature, part of a collection of five fairy tales titled The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

The miniature story, set in a magical kingdom from times gone by, is centered around the powerful love story of a wealthy prince and a Russian princess who drove from Finland in a sledge driven by six reindeers. After their initial meeting and love at first sight a year prior, they begin making plans for a grand wedding that’ll encompass extravagant festive elements, including fireworks to conclude the celebrations. The fireworks, however, are magically able to talk, and we’re introduced to the eminent Remarkable Rocket.

Wilde wrote the tale as a satirical interpretation of the era’s supposed upper-class vanity and ‘masculine conceit’, and like many fairy tales written during this period, it’s a subliminal yet powerful reflection of society at the time.

Answer 2

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay is known for her feminism infused writings and deep, insightful essays, but she certainly succeeds just as well at fictional writing; in Difficult Women, she compiles many short stories which highlight the lives of 20 or so different women in modern America – all facing profoundly challenging life traumas, but who have one common element: difficult or abusive men. The focus of these stories, however, is Gay’s attempt at emphasizing the women’s characteristic strengths and abilities to overcome their problems, each displaying a unique quality which eventually helps them to escape their unfortunate circumstances.

Roxane Gay is known for her feminism infused writings and deep, insightful essays, but she certainly succeeds just as well at fictional writing; in Difficult Women, she compiles many short stories which highlight the lives of 20 or so different women in modern America – all facing profoundly challenging life traumas, but who have one common element: difficult or abusive men. The focus of these stories, however, is Gay’s attempt at emphasizing the women’s characteristic strengths and abilities to overcome their problems, each displaying a unique quality which eventually helps them to escape their unfortunate circumstances.Each of Gay’s stories in this collection are so well-written, and her powerful use of psychological perception to help create these characters owes much credit to the relatability many female readers feel, in that no matter what threats they face in reality, there’s always space for resilience, independence and an individual sense of identity – the latter two characteristics in particular often repressed by women living in traditional patriarchal societies.