Perspectives

Thematic perspective

Published in 2009, Slouka’s “Crossing” fits the literary period Postmodernism. But actually, the themes dealt with in this short story are rather universal - at least the themes of identity, man and nature and father-son relationships. The fourth theme, divorce or broken families, is a more recent issue than the other two, which makes “Crossing” a very relevant text to modern readers.

Today, many families fall apart. There may be numerous reasons, but the interesting thing is how it affects the people involved. You rarely go through a divorce without changing as a person, for better or worse. As human beings, we are defined by the relations we have to other people, and losing those people means having to piece together a new identity. Thus, the question of identity ...