My padlet by Colin Steinberg https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez Made with the best of intentions en-us 2018-01-29 14:11:18 UTC 2025-11-17 22:14:21 UTC hello@padlet.com Turkey Microfiction by Colin Steinberg 20steinbergc https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/225624671 It is January 1926. A woman named Henrietta lives in Turkey. She feels left out in society because of unequal rights on women. She barely gets paid and doesn’t have a job. One morning on February 17, 1926, a newspaper is delivered to Henrietta’s house. She reads the front page. It says that a civil code based on the Swiss Civil Code is accepted in Turkey, which grants expanded civil rights to women and prohibits polygamy. Henrietta feels overjoyed to hear the news. She runs upstairs and tells her husband Murat and her three kids about the new code. The family is so happy and can’t wait to see how it will impact their lives. However, Henrietta does not know what job she should apply for. She asks Murat for ideas. He suggests she works as a teacher in a public school. She agrees to do so. The next day, she goes to the school for her job interview. Her job interview turns out successful and gets hired. Henrietta loves the first week of her job and gets paid 10 liras* per week. Her first day on the job will always be a great memory for her.


*Turkish monetary unit
]]> 2018-01-29 14:12:53 UTC https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/225624671 China Microfiction by Colin Steinberg 20steinbergc https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/230022210 It is May 1, 1919. I am a student at Beijing University. I am studying the great works of Confucius. I overheard some kids talking about the Treaty of Versailles. They said we gave some of our territory to Japan. After our classes end, we plan to form protests towards the Japanese. At night, we sail across the Pacific Ocean to Japan and arrive there three days later. We started by organizing boycotts of Japanese goods. We later protested towards the Japanese to strengthen our country. We had some women join our protest march and campaigned to end arranged marriages, footbinding, and the seclusion of women within the home. A lot of good things happened after the protests. For one, one of our protesters, Mao Zedong became the leader of China’s communist revolution. Also, the women’s work in our protests helped open doors for women in education and economy.






]]> 2018-02-09 14:15:51 UTC https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/230022210 India Microfiction by Colin Steinberg 20steinbergc https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/242423144 It is spring of 1919. Mahatma Gandhi is about to hold a speech about independence from Britain. One divided Hindu family has mixed feelings about Gandhi. A man named Neeraj on one half of the family supports him a woman named Kajal the other half thinks he will give the Muslims too much power. Neeraj liked the idea supporting non-violence which was sacred. Kajal worried about the potential power of the Muslims. Being on opposite sides, they argue about where Gandhi will hold the speech. Kajal plans to go to the city of Amritsar to protest the act that protesters would be jailed without a trial. She packs her bags and attempts to leave the house. However, Neeraj stopped her from doing so. He told her that if she protested the act, he would divorce her. That night, while Neeraj is sleeping, Kajal sneaks out of bed and heads to Amritsar by foot. She is joined by about 10,000 Indians protesting the act. After the protests, the police come and begin arrest everyone who protested. Kajal is the first to flee from the police and luckily is not caught. When she gets home, Kajal confesses to Neeraj what she did. Neeraj forgives her and tells her that he only threatened to divorce her if she protested. And the two sleep happily together.

]]> 2018-03-15 15:24:51 UTC https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/242423144 Germany Microfiction by Colin Steinberg 20steinbergc https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/242423689 It is November 9, 1938. My name is Herbert. It is 3:30 AM. I wake up to hear a series of noises. From what I hear, there is glass breaking, people screaming, and other people shouting, “Get out, Jews! Death to the Jews!” I am terrified. I draw the curtains to see what is going on. I see broken glass all over the streets. Bowls smashed in the kitchen supply store, shoes destroyed in the shoe store, and a portrait of my neighbor ablaze! “Get out, Jews! Death to the Jews!” the people say again. I draw the curtains again. I hide underneath my bed praying that the bad people won’t break into our house. And they don’t. The next morning, I wake up and tell my parents what happened last night. In response, they check the façade of the house and no one destroyed it. That night, I pray that the riots will not return. And they don’t. It is now November 10, 1938. I wake up at 3:30 AM to hear the same sounds again. The glass breaking, the people shouting, “Get out, Jews! Death to the Jews!” and other terrifying sounds. This time, I carefully inspect what the people look like without them seeing me. From what I see, they are Nazis. 30 minutes later, the worst happens: they break into our house and kill my parents. I run away from home forever.

]]> 2018-03-15 15:25:38 UTC https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/242423689 Italy Microfiction https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/243608292 My name is Luciano. I live in and come from Italy. I am at home reading the newspaper that says how Benito Mussolini wants Italy to become a fascist country. It also says he promises to help the economy and build the armed forces. I am a supporter of him and want him to become leader. The only thing I can’t fully agree with is if democracy should be abolished. On one hand, democracy enables rule of law, legal equality, and political freedom. On the other hand, if I don’t believe democracy should be abolished, then everyone would reject me in society. I would have no choice but to support Mussolini’s idea that democracy should be abolished. I write a letter to the government about my approval of abolishing democracy. Shortly after, Mussolini becomes Il Duce, the leader of Italy. He does exactly what I want him to do. He abolished democracy and outlaws all political parties except the Fascists. He also controls the economy. Italy becomes the model for Fascists in other countries such as Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and especially Germany.

]]> 2018-03-19 16:26:57 UTC https://padlet.com/20steinbergc/bzb2v9klfgez/wish/243608292