Stories of Ourselves Volume 2: Study Guides, Analysis and Teaching Resources

Stories of Ourselves Volume 2 is a core prose anthology studied in CIE IGCSE English Literature (0475 & 0922) and IGCSE World Literature (0408). Bringing together a wide range of short stories from different writers, cultures, and time periods, the collection explores themes such as identity, memory, conflict, power, isolation, morality, family, and human experience, while exposing students to varied narrative styles, voices, and perspectives.

At IGCSE level, students are encouraged to analyse how writers use language, structure, symbolism, narrative perspective, and characterization to create meaning and shape readers’ responses. The anthology also develops students’ understanding of how context, setting, and viewpoint influence interpretation, helping them build more confident and detailed analytical responses.

This page brings together study guides, analysis, essay support, and teaching resources for each story in the collection, supporting both classroom teaching and independent revision. For more literature resources, poetry analysis, and exam-focused text guides, explore the Literature Library.

Scroll down to find resources for IGCSE Literature in English (0475 & 0922) and IGCSE World Literature (0408).

IGCSE English Literature (0475 & 0922)

The following short stories from Stories of Ourselves Volume 2 are set for CIE IGCSE English Literature (0475 & 0922) and are covered in the 2027 examinations. These texts form part of the prescribed prose selection for Paper 1, where candidates respond to a passage-based or general essay question on one of the anthology stories.

These stories are studied with a focus on how writers use language, structure, characterization, narrative perspective, setting, and symbolism to shape meaning and create effects. Students are also expected to explore key themes, develop supported interpretations, and analyse how writers influence readers’ responses throughout the text.

Each story below links to a detailed analysis, including summary, themes, context, key quotes, literary techniques, and exam-focused insights, designed to support both classroom teaching and independent revision:

A man with curly hair, dressed in a vest and shirt, stands outdoors under a tree with red berries, watching a flock of birds flying in the sky during sunset over a town.
Old wooden box labeled 'The Woman's Rose' with dried roses inside, candle and vintage items on lace tablecloth.
An office desk with a vintage gold pocket watch, a red box with 'In appreciation of the loyal service of Mr. Sharma to Henry King & Co. to his retirement,' and various documents and items, viewed through a window with reflections.
An elderly man and woman walk together in a park or garden during autumn, holding hands and talking, with trees and houses in the background.

Nick – Christina Rossetti
A darkly comic short story exploring envy, greed, morality, and self-destruction through magical transformations, symbolic punishment, and ironic narrative voice, revealing how bitterness and resentment ultimately harm the individual more than the wider community.

The Woman’s Rose – Olive Schreiner
A reflective and emotionally restrained short story exploring female solidarity, memory, identity, and patriarchal power through symbolic imagery, retrospective narration, and emotional subtlety, revealing how compassion and generosity can survive within social systems built on rivalry and comparison.

The Gold Watch – Mulk Raj Anand
A psychologically realistic and deeply restrained short story exploring colonial power, workplace hierarchy, economic insecurity, and human dignity through irony, symbolism, and emotional tension, revealing how institutional systems disguise cruelty beneath formality, loyalty, and gestures of appreciation.

Haywards Heath – Aminatta Forna
A quiet, emotionally restrained short story exploring memory, aging, regret, love, and emotional displacement through fragmented narration, symbolism, repetition, and subtle emotional tension, revealing how human connection can survive even as identity, time, and memory begin to fade.

IGCSE World Literature (0408)

The following short stories are studied as part of CIE IGCSE World Literature (0408) and are covered in the 2027 and 2028 examinations. These texts form part of the prescribed prose selection, where students respond to questions exploring how writers shape meaning, present ideas, and influence readers through literary methods and narrative craft.

Students studying these stories are expected to analyse how writers use language, structure, characterization, narrative perspective, setting, symbolism, and atmosphere to create meaning and emotional impact. The course also encourages students to develop supported personal interpretations while exploring wider themes such as identity, conflict, memory, tradition, power, loss, morality, and cultural change across a diverse range of international texts.

Each story below links to a detailed analysis, including summary, themes, context, key quotes, literary techniques, and exam-focused insights designed to support both classroom teaching and independent revision for the 2027 and 2028 CIE IGCSE World Literature examinations.

A woman with long curly hair and a man with gray hair and a beard sit on a rocky outcrop overlooking a cloudy landscape with mountains in the distance. The scene appears somber and contemplative, with dark clouds and a misty atmosphere. The text at t
Open book showing a person reading by a window with a view of a church and graveyard outside, titled "George Silverman's Explanation."

Death of the Laird’s Jock – Walter Scott
A tragic historical short story exploring honour, masculinity, national identity, and pride through symbolic conflict, dramatic imagery, and emotional collapse, revealing the devastating psychological consequences of building identity around violence, reputation, and public honour.

George Silverman’s Explanation – Charles Dickens
A deeply emotional Victorian short story exploring poverty, religious hypocrisy, class prejudice, self-sacrifice, and identity through reflective first-person narration, psychological conflict, and symbolic settings, revealing how shame and misunderstanding can shape an entire life.

Choose Your Next Author or Collection

Looking for your next text? Explore other authors and literature collections, with clear analysis, study guides, and teaching resources to support revision and deeper understanding.

Open book with handwritten text on a wooden table, surrounded by dried flowers and a pen, under soft natural lighting.
Cover page of a document titled "The Cockroach" with a black and white illustration of a cockroach, placed on a dark wooden surface next to a black pen and a potted green plant.
A black and white portrait photograph of a woman with her hair styled in a vintage updo. Below the photo, the name 'Christina Rossetti' is written in cursive.
Black and white photo of an elderly woman with short hair, glasses, smiling, wearing a tuxedo, with text underneath that reads "Ray Bradbury."
A black and white portrait photograph of Edgar Allan Poe, with curly hair and a serious expression. The photo is partly framed by a white border with a textured background and illegible cursive text at the bottom.