Short Stories
Short Story Vocabulary
Antagonist- a character in a story who works again the main character
Audience- the person(s) reading a text, listening to a speaker, or observing a performance
Character- a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story
Conflict- a struggle between two opposing forces or characters
Connotation- The emotion or association that a word or phrase may arouse, it is not something that is directly said or done
Denouement- literally meaning the action of untying, a denouement is the final outcome of the main complication in a story
Dialogue- the conversation between characters
Fiction- Anything that is invented or imagined, especially a prose narrative
Foreshadowing- The use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come
Genre- a type or classification of literature
Irony- A contrast or an incongruity between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen
Narrator- one who narrates or tells, a story
Nonfiction- any narrative that tells about things as they actually happened or that posses factual information about something
Plot- the sequence of events or happenings in a literary work. Plot is made up a series of incidents that are related to one another
Point of View- The side from which a narrative is told
Prose- the ordinary form of spoken or written language
Protagonist- the main character or lead figure in a novel, play, story
Setting- the time and place of action in a narrative
Short story - is a fictional story that is shorter than a novel
Symbol- any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something
Theme- the main idea or the message that is being conveyed by the literary work. The theme of a work is not the same as the works’ subject of topic
Tone- the attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and readers
Antagonist- a character in a story who works again the main character
Audience- the person(s) reading a text, listening to a speaker, or observing a performance
Character- a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story
Conflict- a struggle between two opposing forces or characters
Connotation- The emotion or association that a word or phrase may arouse, it is not something that is directly said or done
Denouement- literally meaning the action of untying, a denouement is the final outcome of the main complication in a story
Dialogue- the conversation between characters
Fiction- Anything that is invented or imagined, especially a prose narrative
Foreshadowing- The use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come
Genre- a type or classification of literature
Irony- A contrast or an incongruity between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen
Narrator- one who narrates or tells, a story
Nonfiction- any narrative that tells about things as they actually happened or that posses factual information about something
Plot- the sequence of events or happenings in a literary work. Plot is made up a series of incidents that are related to one another
Point of View- The side from which a narrative is told
Prose- the ordinary form of spoken or written language
Protagonist- the main character or lead figure in a novel, play, story
Setting- the time and place of action in a narrative
Short story - is a fictional story that is shorter than a novel
Symbol- any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something
Theme- the main idea or the message that is being conveyed by the literary work. The theme of a work is not the same as the works’ subject of topic
Tone- the attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and readers
Short Stories Unit Overview
For this unit students will be reading a host of short stories. They will be reading classic and contemporary short stories as well as those specifically directed at a Young Adult audience. They will examine stories told from 1st and 3rd person and from both a male and female perspective. In these short stories we will be reviewing the short story elements, responding to themes, making connections and building vocabulary.
For this unit students will be reading a host of short stories. They will be reading classic and contemporary short stories as well as those specifically directed at a Young Adult audience. They will examine stories told from 1st and 3rd person and from both a male and female perspective. In these short stories we will be reviewing the short story elements, responding to themes, making connections and building vocabulary.
Flash Fiction
Generally, flash fiction is a very short story that can be anywhere from 1 - 1000 words. Although a concrete definition has still not yet been set it is agreed that there should be a complete story within the limited words. Other names for flash fiction include short-short stories, sudden, postcard, minute, furious, fast, quick, skinny, and micro fiction.
Read flash fiction stories here:
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/index/flash-fiction/
http://flashfictiononline.com/main/category/classic-flash/
http://vestalreview.net/
http://www.100wordstory.org/
Read flash fiction stories here:
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/index/flash-fiction/
http://flashfictiononline.com/main/category/classic-flash/
http://vestalreview.net/
http://www.100wordstory.org/
Popular Classic & Contemporary Short Stories
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
The Monkey's Paw
The Bet by Anton Chekov
Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
The pit and the pendulum Edgar Allen Poe
The possibility of evil by Shirley Jackson
The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury
The story of the good little boy by mark twain
Barney by Will Stanton
The Friday Everything Changed by Anne Hart
Wish you were here by Frank Jones
The sea devil by arthur gordon
The father by Hugh Garner
The carved table by Mary Petersen
Alicia by Alicia Millis
A Television Drama by Jane Rule
The Witch by Shirley Jackson
Penny in the Dust by Ernest Buckler
The Mask of Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne
the crucible
To Build a Fire by Jack London
The Last Leaf by O. Henry
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
rules of the game
the mysterious mr lincoln
the cold equations
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
The Sniper by Liam Oflaherty
A & P by John Updike
An Occurence at Owl Bridge by Ambrose Pierce
A Jury of her Peers by Judy Glaspell
Haircut by Ring Lardner
The Rockinghorse Winner by DH Lawrence
A rose for Emily by William Faulkner
http://www.mrsmacfarland.com/10th-book-list.html
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
The Monkey's Paw
The Bet by Anton Chekov
Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
The pit and the pendulum Edgar Allen Poe
The possibility of evil by Shirley Jackson
The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury
The story of the good little boy by mark twain
Barney by Will Stanton
The Friday Everything Changed by Anne Hart
Wish you were here by Frank Jones
The sea devil by arthur gordon
The father by Hugh Garner
The carved table by Mary Petersen
Alicia by Alicia Millis
A Television Drama by Jane Rule
The Witch by Shirley Jackson
Penny in the Dust by Ernest Buckler
The Mask of Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne
the crucible
To Build a Fire by Jack London
The Last Leaf by O. Henry
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
rules of the game
the mysterious mr lincoln
the cold equations
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
The Sniper by Liam Oflaherty
A & P by John Updike
An Occurence at Owl Bridge by Ambrose Pierce
A Jury of her Peers by Judy Glaspell
Haircut by Ring Lardner
The Rockinghorse Winner by DH Lawrence
A rose for Emily by William Faulkner
http://www.mrsmacfarland.com/10th-book-list.html
Young Adult Short Story Collections (contemporary)
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black
Kiss me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by various authors
How they met and other stories by David Levithan
21 Proms by David Levithan
Zombies vs Unicorns by Holly Black
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
No Easy Answers by Donald Gallo
Just some stuff i wrote by William Bell
The Restless Dead by Deborah Noyes
Face Relations by Marilyn Singer
Zebra and other Stories by Chaim Potok
Campfire Chillers by Dave Jeffrey
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Places i never meant to be by Judy Blume
Every Man for Himself 10 short stories about being a guy
Donald Gallo Ultimate Shorts
Sudden Flash Youth 65 Stories
http://www.scaryforkids.com/great-stories/
http://crhsmcclintick.weebly.com/short-story.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/podcast-episodes/sampling-short-stories-30590.html
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black
Kiss me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by various authors
How they met and other stories by David Levithan
21 Proms by David Levithan
Zombies vs Unicorns by Holly Black
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
No Easy Answers by Donald Gallo
Just some stuff i wrote by William Bell
The Restless Dead by Deborah Noyes
Face Relations by Marilyn Singer
Zebra and other Stories by Chaim Potok
Campfire Chillers by Dave Jeffrey
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Places i never meant to be by Judy Blume
Every Man for Himself 10 short stories about being a guy
Donald Gallo Ultimate Shorts
Sudden Flash Youth 65 Stories
http://www.scaryforkids.com/great-stories/
http://crhsmcclintick.weebly.com/short-story.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/podcast-episodes/sampling-short-stories-30590.html
Short Story Elements
SETTING -- The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):
a) place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)
c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
PLOT -- The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:
a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed. b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
It is helpful to consider climax as a three-fold phenomenon: 1) the main character receives new information 2) accepts this information (realizes it but does not necessarily agree with it) 3) acts on this information (makes a choice that will determine whether or not he/she gains his objective).
CONFLICT-- Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.
There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self. 2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. There are four kinds of conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
CHARACTER -- There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist
Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person -
In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story.
3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.
POINT OF VIEW -- Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1. Innocent Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment being different from that of an adult) .
2. Stream of Consciousness - The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
3. First Person - The story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc). The reader sees the story through this person's eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.
4. Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view. He can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces information where and when he chooses. There are two main types of omniscient point of view:
a) Omniscient Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective – The author tells the story in the third person. It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position of spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to interpret events on his own.
THEME -- The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:
- things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover
SETTING -- The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):
a) place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)
c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
PLOT -- The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:
a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed. b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
It is helpful to consider climax as a three-fold phenomenon: 1) the main character receives new information 2) accepts this information (realizes it but does not necessarily agree with it) 3) acts on this information (makes a choice that will determine whether or not he/she gains his objective).
CONFLICT-- Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.
There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self. 2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. There are four kinds of conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
CHARACTER -- There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist
Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person -
In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story.
3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.
POINT OF VIEW -- Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1. Innocent Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment being different from that of an adult) .
2. Stream of Consciousness - The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
3. First Person - The story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc). The reader sees the story through this person's eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.
4. Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view. He can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces information where and when he chooses. There are two main types of omniscient point of view:
a) Omniscient Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective – The author tells the story in the third person. It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position of spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to interpret events on his own.
THEME -- The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:
- things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover
Test yourself on the Short Story Elements
Check your understanding of the short story elements by doing the following quizzes: (the quiz will open in a new webpage)
Check your understanding of the short story elements by doing the following quizzes: (the quiz will open in a new webpage)