Comment on theme

The theme of oppression is most present in the stories “Fast Forward,” “Mad Country,” and “America the Great Equalizer.” The first two stories take place in Nepal, the third in America, demonstrating that systemic oppression is just as prevalent in supposed first world, democratic countries. In “Fast Forward,” a journalist employed by the protagonist Shalini Malla is kidnapped (and likely murdered) after writing an article about the unlawful imprisonment and execution of a man by government forces.