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Short Fiction · Chapter

Short Fiction explained

A collection of short stories exploring themes of love, loss, social class, and the passage of time, featuring characters such as Frederick, Magda, Bloom, and Dr.

What happens

A collection of short stories exploring themes of love, loss, social class, and the passage of time, featuring characters such as Frederick, Magda, Bloom, and Dr. Henck.

Themes in this chapter

  • Love and Loss

    The tragic love story of Frederick and Magda, and the grief that follows.

  • Mortality and Transience

    Frederick's illness and collapse, and the death of Magda and Wetzmann.

Characters to notice

  • Frederick Richard Fant

    Central figure in stories of love and tragedy.

  • Magda

    Frederick's love interest, whose secret visits lead to tragedy.

  • Bloom

    Released from prison and later feeds the ducks.

  • Dr. Henck

    Borrows money and a fur coat on Christmas Eve.