INTRODUCTION TO
SHORT STORIES
Unit 2
ORIGINS
 Our modern version of the short story was born out of the oral
tradition of storytelling and relies heavily on myth, legend, fairy tale,
fable, early essays, and character studies.
 Very old works like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales provide a basic
understanding for the origins of the short story.
FORM AND STRUCTURE
 Short stories are brief narratives. Most short stories are between 2,000
and 10,000 words.
 Like novels and films, short stories can be very linear with a beginning
that introduces the characters and setting, a complication (middle) that
establishes the problem that involves the main character(s), and the
resolution (end) that more or less solves the problem.
BASIC ELEMENTS
 Short stories are usually concerned with one issue rather than several complex
issues (as in a novel).
 They tend to have characters who are not as fully developed as in novels, and
they rely on less character analysis.
 Usually, some aspect of the protagonist's personality undergoes a change as a
result of some event.
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Remember: The protagonist is the main character and the antagonist is the
opposing force/character.
 Because of limited space for backstory and large plots, many (but not all) short
stories begin in medias res (Latin for “in the middle of things”)
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
 Plot – what is this story about?
 Setting – where and when does this take place?
 Characters – who is this story about?
 Emotion – how does this story make me feel?
 Symbolism – what do the symbols mean and how do they support the other
elements of the story?
 Theme – what’s the central meaning of this story?
 Point of view – who is telling this story?
CONFLICT IN SHORT
STORIES
 As in the novel, a short story may have conflict 1) between characters,
2) between a character and an outside force, or 3) between a character and
herself/himself (inner conflict).
 There can be multiple plots in a short story. Many times there is an
obvious or overt plot, which is a straightforward series of events.
Sometimes there is also a hidden or covert plot, which is implied through
events, dialogue, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and other methods. Usually
the secret plot aligns somehow with the obvious plot.
ANALYZING PLOT
 What is the straightforward plot and is there an implied plot to supplement it?
 Who is the main character and what is happening to her? Why is it happening? Who or what is
causing the problem (antagonist)?
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Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Himself
 Are there any flashbacks to explain why the events are unfolding?
 Foreshadowing?
 What is the inciting incident? What gets the story going?
 How does the setting contribute to the plot? (time, place)
STAGES OF PLOT
 Exposition (introduction of characters)
 Situation/complication (the problem)
 Rising action (events that heighten the problem)
 Climax (the big event or turning point)
 Falling action/denouement (resolution and conclusion)
IRONY
 Irony is the contradiction of what we expect/know/want vs. what
actually happens.
 The word irony is from the ancient Greek word eironeia, which
means hypocrisy, deception, or feigned ignorance. Irony is used as a rhetorical
device in literature to show an incongruity or discordance between
what a character says or does and what that character means or what’s
generally understood.
TYPES OF IRONY
 Verbal Irony: a disparity of expression and intention; when a character says
one thing but means another, or when a literal meaning is contrary to its intended
effect. Example: sarcasm
 Dramatic Irony: a disparity of expression and awareness; when words and
actions possess a significance that the listener or audience understands, but the
character does not. Example: Edna Pontellier leaving Robert to attend Adele’s
delivery just after she tells Robert that she wants them to be everything to each
other.
 Situational Irony: a disparity of intention and result; when the result of an
action is contrary to the desired or expected effect. Example: Edna drowning
herself to become free.
ANALYZING SETTING
 What’s the historical time, place, and social background of the
story?
 Does the setting influence the plot or characters?
 How would the story be different if it took place elsewhere?
 Striking scenes?
 Time span?
ANALYZING CHARACTER
 Is this character consistent? The protagonist may go through a
significant change, but that change should not be drastic, shocking, or
inconsistent with what we expect from that character.
 Realistic? Do we believe what this character says and does? Is the
character a plausible human being?
 Motivation. What makes this character do what he does? Does the
motivation make sense?
TYPES OF CHARACTERS
 Round – fully developed; the protagonist is a round character, and
others may also be round
 Flat – one-dimensional; serve a purpose, which is usually to
supplement the main character; still has an important role in the story
 Stock – a flat character that is so stereotypical that the reader can
basically predict what she/he will do throughout the story. Usually
used for comic relief and/or are often exaggerated.
TYPES, CONTINUED:
 Dynamic characters undergo a positive change; they end up in a different
place (emotionally) than where they started.
• The protagonist is usually the most dynamic character in the story.
 Static characters remain the same throughout the story.
 Foil – contrasts/opposes the protagonist. Example: Adele Ratignolle
 Archetypal – have universal characteristics regardless of the type of story,
setting, etc. Example: the Femme Fatal
 Confidante – character the protagonist confides in and revels secrets to.
Example: Mad. Reisz or sometimes Adele
ANALYZING EMOTION
 Tone: the way a writer tells a story; his attitudes toward characters
and events and subject matter determine the tone.
 Mood: the general total atmosphere of the story. Mood is
conveyed through emotions and tone.
 Emotion is two-fold. 1) Emotions of the characters created by the
writer and 2) Emotions that the writer wants the reader to experience.
ESTABLISHING THE MOOD
 Dramatic irony – what is done or said may not be reality
 Suspense – what is the next move? What will happen to the protagonist?
 Sympathy – intellectual understanding of a character; you understand what
motivates the character
 Empathy – emotional understanding of a character; you feel the same way (or
have felt the same way) as the character
 Restraint – controlling tension and emotions so that the reader doesn’t feel too
much or too little
SYMBOLS (AND MOTIFS)
 These are still important in short stories. They help us understand the
meanings, feelings, and emotions, and they function in the same way as in longer
works.
 Kinds of symbols:
• Archetypal – represent something throughout time. Ex: pregnancy represents new
life/birth. Adele is always pregnant, always bringing life into the world. Edna kills
herself just after Adele delivers another child (irony!).
• Psychological – come from experiences. Ex: American flag represents patriotism,
heroism, pride. We have a psychological connection to it.
• Abstract – using something like a heart to represent love
THEMES
 The theme is the unifying idea behind the story (or moral
implication).
 The theme of a story comes from the total summary of all the
other things within a story. Everything adds together to reinforce the
meaning and awaken a particular feeling in our hearts or minds.
Example: All the chaos, grittiness, destruction, and loss in Beasts
contribute to the overall theme that one must be special survive.
POINT OF VIEW
 The position from which the author tells the story.
 First person (uses “I”) is subjective. The narrator may be present and active (one of the characters) or
anonymous.
 Second person (uses “you”)
 Third person (uses “he” “she”)
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Omniscient – knows all
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Single-character limited omniscient – only knows about one character
Dual-character limited omniscient – knows about only two
Multi-character omniscient – knows about all; narrator is almost godlike
Dramatic Narrative Position – narrator is like a fly on the wall. Story is told as if through a movie lens.
 Unreliable narrator – the narrator is proven or admittedly untrustworthy, which makes us doubt
his/her point of view
 Epistolary – telling a story via. letters
OUR STORIES
 “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe
(Victorian Gothic)
 “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (1953) by Flannery O’Connor
(Southern Gothic)
 “Indian Camp” (1924) by Ernest Hemingway (Modernist)
 “Cathedral” (1983) by Raymond Carver (Dirty Realism)
 “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (1966) by Joyce
Carol Oates (Post-Modern/Experimental)
QUESTIONS?