Short stories have different aspects from other forms of writing that would make them a short story in which the elements are: setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme. All of these characteristics are essential in making a short story as well as extinguishing from other types of writing. In the story "Her Lover" all of these characteristics are shown throughout the story and those requirements for those characteristics are met. However not all of these requirements have to be met in order to create a short story as setting and/or characters could be vividly described and draw a loose picture. Also the point of view of the story doesn't change as it remains in first person from beginning to end, a change in point of view would mean that the story isn't a short story. The setting of the story takes place in an apartment building which both the main characters reside in which is shown in the quote " I lived on the top flight and her garret was opposite to mine." (Gorky 163). Both weather conditions and time are not explained in the story but it is expected that it took place in modern times and that the weather conditions would have changed based on the mood of the story, for example near the end it would be raining to express the gloominess of the Teresa's death "Subsequently, about three months after this history began, they put her in prison for something or other. No doubt by this time she is dead." (Gorky 166). The daily life of the characters seem to be casual, both "Mr. Student" and Teresa don't seem to have work nor school, they just seem to be in the apartment complex all the time doing their own things. In the beginning of the story the mood seems to be bright and calming as nothing much happens but then as the sto... ... middle of paper ... ...t what if he doesn't? He doesn't exist, but he might! I write to him, and it looks as if he did exist. And Teresa-that's me, and he replies to me, and then i write to him again...." (Gorky 166). All of these characteristics have been shown throughout the story and have been fulfilled: setting was described, characters paint an image in the audience's heads, plot shows a steady storyline, conflict goes hand in hand with the plot, and the point of view remains the same throughout the entire story. Theme is basic yet it is the main point of the story as it influences much of the character's actions. "Her Lover" has similarities to the other short stories as they've all had some Russian influence and follow the elements of a short story. "Her Lover" extinguishes itself as a short story as the criteria has been met and is different from other types of writing as well.
The author illustrates the “dim, rundown apartment complex,” she walks in, hand and hand with her girlfriend. Using the terms “dim,” and “rundown” portrays the apartment complex as an unsafe, unclean environment; such an environment augments the violence the author anticipates. Continuing to develop a perilous backdrop for the narrative, the author describes the night sky “as the perfect glow that surrounded [them] moments before faded into dark blues and blacks, silently watching.” Descriptions of the dark, watching sky expand upon the eerie setting of the apartment complex by using personification to give the sky a looming, ominous quality. Such a foreboding sky, as well as the dingy apartment complex portrayed by the author, amplify the narrator’s fear of violence due to her sexuality and drive her terror throughout the climax of the
“Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). In Edith Wharton’s framed novel, Ethan Frome, the main protagonist encounters “lost opportunity, failed romance, and disappointed dreams” with a regretful ending (Lilburn 1). Ethan Frome lives in the isolated fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts with his irritable spouse, Zenobia Frome. Ever since marriage, Zenobia, also referred to as Zeena, revolves around her illness. Furthermore, she is prone to silence, rage, and querulously shouting.
Characterization is an essential component in a short story. Characterization is based on two things , indirect or direct characterization. Indirect Characterization shows the audience what the personality of the character is , and Direct tells the audience what the personality of the character is. Authors make characters be presented by means of description,through their actions,speech,thoughts and interactions with other characters. Authors frequently apply characterization to their stories to develop a theme or moral to the stories. Practically every novel that was made in the history of literature has a theme.This means any kind of short story like The Whistle by Anne Estevis and Marigold by Eugenia Collier has characterization.
Under the orders of her husband, the narrator is moved to a house far from society in the country, where she is locked into an upstairs room. This environment serves not as an inspiration for mental health, but as an element of repression. The locked door and barred windows serve to physically restrain her: “the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.” The narrator is affected not only by the physical restraints but also by being exposed to the room’s yellow wallpaper which is dreadful and fosters only negative creativity. “It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.”
What qualities make a short story short? Well, as stated above by, Behnam Mirzababazadeh Fomeshi, a short story is called short because it is not as long, in the number of pages, and therefore tends to focus on a contained story. Why is this, personally this is due to keeping the reader’s attention and to provide/cram as little detail, that may not be necessary.
This lifestyle had a great impact on June's life. It was difficult for her to make friends because the family moved so often. Since the family was moving every six to eight weeks, she was never in one school for very long. It was difficult to make friends as she got older. Even though she knew a friendship was going to be temporary, June longed to have a companion. The girls were cliquish and not friendly to her. On the other hand, the boys instantly took an interest in the pretty young lady. Unfortunately, this caused even more of a rife with the girls. She started dreading the moves that happened so frequently. Learning anything in class was a struggle. The constant moves took a toll. The family would move to a new place and she would start school. A new school might be ahead of the last school, and it would be hard to catch up before the next move. Sometimes she would start at a school and already know that material, and she would become bored. Developing study habits was very difficult and it was difficult for her to concentrate.
Writing a story is pretty difficult. Writing a short story is even harder, there is so much that has to be accomplished; in both commercial and literary fiction! The plot, the structure, whether it has a happy, unhappy, or indeterminate ending. There must be artistic unity, chance, coincidence, rising action, climax, falling action. Most importantly there must be characterization. Characters make the story! “anyone can summarize what a person in a story has done, but a writer needs considerable skill and insight into human beings to describe convincingly who a person is” [page 168]
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
It has been said of Anton Chekhov, the renown Russian short-story writer, that in all of his “work, there is never exactly a point. Rather we see into someone’s hear – in just a few pages, the curtain concealing these lives has been drawn back, revealing them in all their helplessness and rage and rancor.” Alice Munro, too, falls into this category. Many of her short-stories, such as “Royal Beatings” focus more on character revelation rather than plot.
The short story is written in first person and it is from our nameless character's writing's that we are introduced to her world and her life. It is through this that we see our main characters transition into a world that only she has access to. She changes dramatically from our first meeting while everyone else stays very flat and unaffected. This method is very effective in that this story from someone else's perspective would not be as real and understanding. The outside world would have written about a crazy woman who slowly goes mad for no reason. Only through her eyes can we see the true reason for her, not madness, epiphany.
Second, what is the mood of this story trying to portray with the setting. The setting c...
Some of the characteristics of Modernism are: a desire to break conventions and established traditions, reject history, experiment, remove relativity, remove any literal meaning, and create an identity that is fluid. The rejection of history sought to provide a narrative that could be completely up for interpretation. Any literal meaning no longer existed nor was it easily given; essence became synonymous. Narrative was transformed. Epic stories, like “Hills Like White Elephants”, could occur in the sequence of a day. Stories became pushed by a flow of thoughts. The narrative became skeptical of linear plots, preferring to function in fragments. These fragments often led to open unresolved inconclusive endings. This echoes in the short story’s format. The short story functions in fragmented dialogue. Focusing on subjectivity rather than objectivity. Creating characters with unfixed, mixed views to challenge readers.
What elements are needed to create a good short story? As John Dufrense quoted "A good story has a visionary quality, a personal voice, a signature gesture(1969). The elements used should be used so strongly that it pulls you in; forcing you to connect to the people in the story. Not every story is written well enough to be capable of doing this. This also creates a connection with the reader; leaving some type of effect or impacting the reader along with the characters’ lives. Although there are many elements in writing but one of the greatest things of writing is the ability to make the reader empathize with the characters. This goes beyond than just a connection with the characters; when the reader is able to apprehend with the characters he or she is truly relating and reaching out to them. The author has accomplished something truly special when the reader has the ability to feel the agony that a character is feeling.
Throughout Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour,” there are different amounts of settings that are revealed as more of the plot is revealed. A setting can and does exists in every form of fiction such as in this short story. They represent place, elements of time and social context. These elements that I just mentioned create particular moods, qualities in characters and different forms of themes. This particular short story deals with the ying and the yang of the emotions of a young woman. She discovered her independence in her husband’s death, then it was the “tragic” discovery that in reality her husband was still alive. There are certain factors of the setting that reveal certain characteristics about Louise Mallard, whom is one of the main characters. The meat of this story takes place in the spring of the 1890’s, in a timeframe of about an hour, and in a house that belonged to the Mallards. This is extremely significant to the meaning of the story.
The overall simplicity of life in St. Petersburg is present throughout the novel and elaborated quite a lot. Life was innocent and simple in the time and very diverse due to it being the south for example, “White, mul...