Perspectives

This part will help you put the text “Gideon” by Z.Z. Packer in perspective by looking at current issues, literary period, and similar works.

Current issues

Although the short story is set sometime in the 1990s, the theme and motifs it approaches are still relevant today. Interracial relationships remain challenging although they are formally accepted by most societies. They are challenging because each of the partners come with their own cultural background, habits, and often preconceived ideas about the other’s culture.

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Literary period

“Gideon” by Z.Z. Packer is a piece of Postmodernist fiction in terms of periodical time, theme, and narrative techniques.

Postmodernism is associated with the literary period spanning from the end of WWII until the present day and has only been loosely defined because most authors don’t want their works to be identified with a rigid set of features.

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Works with the same theme

To discover the way the theme of interfacial love is explored by other authors, we recommend that you also read the short stories “The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Say Yes” by Tobias Wolff, and “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer.

“The Thing Around Your Neck” follows Akunna, a 22-year-old Nigerian girl who moves to the US to stay with a distant uncle. When the uncle tries to abuse her, she runs away and gets a job...

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