A World of Difference. Selected Short Stories by British and American Writers by Gabriella Bonavoglia

This collection of seven short stories focuses on people forced to come to terms with a pitiless reality which shatters their fragile defences. Nothing is quite what it seems: the characters who inhabit this world are either outwardly respectable or blind to greater truths that lie beyond the restrictions imposed by society. The activities that accompany these highly accessible stories guide the reader towards literary competence and an awareness of the art of the short story. Stimulating follow-up and discussion work, on such related topics as racial prejudice, loneliness, superstition and ritual and the role of women takes the reader outside this world of difference and into a realm where literature and life intertwine.