Realism | Lecturia

Bertolt Brecht: The unseemly old lady

“The Unseemly Old Lady” (Die unwürdige Greisin) is a short story by Bertolt Brecht, written in 1939 and first published in the collection Kalendergeschichten (1949). It recounts the life of a woman who, after her husband’s death, finds herself faced with a dilemma: whether to depend on her children or fend for herself. Against all expectations, she rejects her family’s guardianship and chooses to live alone, accepting only modest financial support. From that moment on, she begins to chart her own course through small acts of independence that bewilder her children and arouse the curiosity of the townspeople.

Juan Rulfo: Macario

“Macario,” a short story by Juan Rulfo included in El llano en llamas (1953), is an intimate narrative that immerses us in the world of a young man with an intellectual disability under the care of his godmother. Caught between violence and tenderness, Macario finds solace in his relationship with Felipa, an alternative maternal figure. The narration captures his daily struggle, his simple desires, and his peculiar view of life, offering a window into his deepest thoughts and his marginal existence.

Flannery O’Connor: A Good Man Is Hard to Find

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a short story by Flannery O’Connor, published in 1953. A family from the southern United States embarks on a vacation trip to Florida. During the trip, the grandmother entertains her grandchildren with stories from her youth. Captivated, the children insist on taking a detour to visit an old plantation that their grandmother mentions in her stories. Despite the father’s resistance, he finally gives in to family pressure and takes a rural road suggested by his mother. This seemingly innocuous decision will lead the group to an unexpected encounter with destiny.

Mary Shelley: The Pilgrims

“The Pilgrims” is a short story by Mary Shelley, published in 1837 in The Keepsake and later included in the collection Tales and Stories (1891). Burkhardt of Unspunnen, a lonely old knight, lives tormented by painful memories. One night, two young pilgrims arrive at his castle seeking shelter, and he welcomes them generously. The strangers, moved by their host’s obvious distress, beg him to share the reason for his sorrow. Burkhardt then recounts the story of an irreparable loss and devastating regret that consumes his existence.

Jack London: Love Of Life

In “Love of Life,” Jack London recounts the harrowing journey of two men lost in the Canadian wilderness. Weak and starving, they struggle to survive as an unforgiving nature subjects them to relentless trials. Faced with dwindling food supplies and mounting injuries, their bond fractures and one abandons the other. From that moment on, the narrative follows the solitary odyssey of the deserted man, who—stripped of nearly everything—must find the strength and the means to keep going. The story explores the outer limits of human endurance and the tenacious fight for life amid overwhelming desolation.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The New Catacomb

“The New Catacomb” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in 1898 in The Sunlight Year-Book. In late nineteenth-century Rome, Burger and Kennedy are two young, eminent archaeologists bound by a relationship of intellectual rivalry and mutual admiration. During a conversation at Kennedy’s house, Burger confides to him an extraordinary discovery: he has found a Christian catacomb from the Roman period, intact and previously unknown. Fascinated, Kennedy presses to see the site and gain access to its secrets. After showing some reluctance, Burger agrees to guide him on a nocturnal exploration, but first imposes a peculiar condition.