Common themes include the struggle for success. Baseball is a tough sport, and characters in these short stories face challenges to achieve their goals, whether it's getting a starting position or winning a championship. Another is the sense of community. The baseball team and the fans create a community, which is explored in stories like 'A Day in the Bleachers'. And there's the theme of identity. Players find out who they are through their performance on the baseball field.
One common theme is the evolution of the game. For example, stories might explore how baseball changes with new technology like advanced pitching machines or genetically enhanced players.
One common theme is the underdog winning. Like in many short baseball stories, the least expected player or team often comes out on top.
Often, they focus on the players. For example, their dreams, their struggles on and off the field.
One common theme is loss. The loss of lives, the loss of a sense of safety, and the loss of a pre - 9/11 world. People in these stories often struggle to come to terms with the sudden and violent nature of the losses they've experienced.
One common theme is the exploration of human relationships. In these short forms, authors often focus on the dynamics between two or a few characters, like love, friendship, or family relationships. For instance, in some short short fictions, a brief encounter between strangers can reveal a lot about human connection.
Love and lust are common themes. The exploration of physical attraction and the strong emotions it can evoke.
One common theme is self - image. In these stories, characters with anorexia often have a distorted view of their own bodies. For example, they might see themselves as fat even when they are dangerously underweight.
One common theme is the struggle for equality. Feminist short stories often show women fighting against gender - based discrimination in various aspects like work, education, and social status. For example, in many stories, women are striving to break into male - dominated fields. Another theme is female self - discovery. Women characters in these stories are often on a journey to understand themselves better, their desires, and their identities outside of the traditional roles assigned to them. Body image is also a theme. Some stories explore how society's beauty standards affect women's self - worth.
Hope is yet another theme. Despite the overwhelming horror, there are often glimmers of hope in these stories. It could be the hope for liberation, or the hope that their story will be told and remembered. For instance, a character might see a sign of the Allied forces approaching or might find a small bit of comfort in a shared memory with another prisoner, which gives them the strength to keep going.
One common theme is the unknown. Stories often play on the fear of the things we can't understand or explain, like in 'The Call of Cthulhu' where the existence of an ancient and powerful being is hinted at. Another theme is death. It can be sudden, violent, or a lingering presence as in 'The Canterville Ghost'.