What Is a Short Story?
A short story is a work of fiction that develops a single idea.
It can be read in one sitting. Because the story is brief, each
detail counts. Some short stories are concerned with adventure.
Others focus on the workings of people's minds. Some stories are
closer to reality than others.
The History of the Short Story
The telling of tales is not new. Myths and legends were told more
than 10,000 years ago. Over 2,000 years ago, the Bible included
stories. Around the 1300's A.D., great storytellers wrote tales in
verse.
The modern short story, however, began only in the 1800's. The
writers became interested in developing this form. The American
writer Edgar Allan Poe is often called "father of the modern
short story." Poe stressed that short story writers must select
each detail with great care. Every detail must help create "a
certain unique or single effect."
During the 1800's and 1900's, the short story has become one of
the most widely read kinds of literature. Great authors from all
over the world have contributed to this form.
The Elements of a Short Story
Plot. The action or events of a
story make up its plot. Usually the plot shows how a conflict, or
struggle, develops and is settled. The conflict and the events of
the plot may be external. That is, they are outside the main
character. They may be internal, or within the character. In many
stories, the plot follows these steps:
Characters. In a
short story the reader gets to know only one or two characters well.
Each writer should clearly suggest a character's motivations, or
reasons for acting.
Setting. In some stories, the
time and place of the action are of major importance.
Suspense. In any good story, the writer
tells just enough to keep the reader wondering what will come next.
Often the reader becomes tense or worried about the next events.
This is especially true when a character's life is in danger. The
writer gradually builds the interest higher and higher. This
building-up of interest is called suspense.
How To Read a Short Story
1. Choose the right time and place to read the story. You should
not be interrupted or distracted. Give yourself a chance to
experience and recognize the single effect that the writer is trying
to make.
2. As you read the story enjoy the mood it creates. Let
the characters excite or annoy you. Try to guess what will happen
next.
More About the Elements of a Short Story
You have learned about three necessary elements in a short
story-characters, plot, and setting. You have learned that the way
the writer develops the plot creates suspense. Now you will learn
more about different types of characters and different types
of conflicts. In addition, you will learn about three other elements
you will find in every story - narrator, point of view, and theme.
Characters.A short story can have as few as
one or two characters.
Even when it has more characters, only
one or two are important. The important characters are called the
major characters. Everyone else in the story is a minor
character.
If a character changes during the story, he or she
is called a dynamic character.
Conflict. Almost every plot involves a
conflict, or struggle between two forces. Usually, the introduction
in the story lets the reader know what the conflict is. The rising
action shows the struggle becoming more and more intense. Often, at
the climax, the main character makes a decision or discovery that
determines how the conflict will end. The falling action and
resolution then show the conflict being settled.
There are several kinds of conflict, and a story
may have more than one. The main character may come into conflict
with another character. The main character may struggle against the
forces of nature or society.
These conflicts with forces outside the character
are called external conflicts. The main character may also
experience internal conflict, a struggle with opposing feelings.
Narrator. The person telling the story is
called the narrator. Often the narrator is a character in the story.
Then the reader learns about the narrator from what he or she does
in the story. Other times the narrator is outside the story,
explaining the events. Then the reader may learn about the narrator
from his or her comments on the events.
Point of View. Point of view refers
to the way the narrator tells the story. If the narrator is a
character in the story, the story is told in the first-person point
of view. The narrator uses the first-person pronouns I and me.
If the narrator is outside the story, the story is told in the
third-person point of view, The narrator uses the third-person
pronouns he, she, and they to talk about the
characters. If the narrator can see into all the characters' minds,
then the writer has used the third-person omniscient point of view.
If the narrator is limited to understanding only one character's
thoughts, then the writer has used the third-person limited point of
view.
Theme. In every story, a writer expresses
some opinion or shows a concern for some topic. The idea or concern
that the writer presents in a short story is its theme. Often a
story may have more than one theme. Different readers may see
different themes. Usually, it is not difficult to identify one or
more of the themes of a story. Ask yourself why the writer included
the descriptions and events he or she chose. Remember that every
detail in a short story is there for a reason. Also, it is helpful
to compare and contrast stories. The differences between two stories
point out the differences in themes.
