The young man with the carnation
From the story with the same title, the young man with the carnation is made to be a symbolic representation of happiness and true meaning of life. This simple, but infinite happiness that comes from visiting a girl he likes is something to be searched for and be inspired by, like our writer finally realizes because the true meaning of life lies in this simplicity.
Sorrow's Acre
"Sorrow's Acre" is a story derived from Danish folklore and it is a story about mother's love, devotion, dignity, and persistence. Sorrow's Acre is a symbol of that devotion and the story itself follows the entire silent struggle of the mother to save her son with a sad but expected end.
Existence of a doll
The story "The Invincible Slave-owners", even though it has a twist of fraudulence, still showcases a meaningful picture of women of the time. Women in wealthy societies are portrayed to have the existence of a doll, just like our main character Mizzi. They are dressed and undressed with the help of servants (slaves) and are always under their watchful eyes so that they can't do anything on their own. Mizzi's governess is described as "the silent and omnipresent symbol" of that system".
Dream spell
Jen is a dreaming child that puts a spell on everyone in the house of his dreams when he arrives there. That spell makes everyone around him want to live up to the ideal from his dream, the higher existence that he created for them and made them depend on the little dreamer. The story truly shows the effects of child's imagination and how it can bring out the best in others, but also how a simple child can set high expectations and make others depend on its childish opinion.
