The Short Story in Brief
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Transcript of The Short Story in Brief
The Short Story in Brief
Forerunners of the Short Story
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Parables
• Fables
• Folk Tales
• Ballads
2
Development of the Modern
Short Story
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Carefully contrived literary form
• Dates from the 19th century
• Closely related to the rise of these and other popular periodicals
3
Washington Irving (1783-1849)
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• 1st important
American short
story writer
• Laid the
foundation for the
development of the
short story
4
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Influential in the
development of
the short story
• One of America’s
most important
writers
• Wrote more than
100 short stories
and sketches
5
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Gave 1st definition of short story
• Clearly laid the basic principle of all art – the principle of artistic unity
6
Poe and Artistic Unity
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Poe’s essential
characteristics
of the short
story:
– brevity
– unity
– intensity
Poe’s definition of artistic unity:
That condition of a successful literary
work whereby all its elements work
together for the achievement of its
central purpose.
In an artistically unified work nothing is
included that is irrelevant to the
central purpose, nothing is omitted that
is essential to it, and the parts are
arranged in the most effective order for
the achievement of that purpose.
7
Equation of Literary Eleme
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Plot +
• Setting +
• Characterization +
• Title +
• Point of view +
• Symbol =
____________
THEME
8
Common Themes of Modern
Short Stories (19th -20th Century)
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Anxiety
• Doubt
• Frustration
• Restlessness
• Modern war
• Space exploration
• Computer technology
• Social Criticism
• Psychological
Maladjustment
• Breakdown of human
relationships
• Philosophical
searching
• Unhappy people - lost
guideposts of
conduct and morality
9
Main Theme of Modern American
Short Stories
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• The impact of
harried American
society on inner
lives of its people
10
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• ONE FLEW OVER THE CUKOO’S NEST
• Ken Kessey (60s)
• Fight Club
11
Main theme of postmodern short
stories (1960-1980’s)
Pr AFKINICH The Short Story in Brief
• Deconstruction
– Overturning of accepted definitions of
and values about existing systems of
education, religion, legislation,
economy, or any other aspect of life and
society.
• Two stories with postmodern
themes
– Graham Greene’s “The Destructors”
– Eudora Welty’s “Everyday Use”
Deconstruction
by R. Skoracki
12