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Short story: possibilities and constraints - Coggle Diagram
Short story: possibilities and constraints
Compare two stories from each author if writing on more than one author
which stories? One which exploited the possibility, one which was constrained, by each author.
what is different between the stories and what effects do those differences have?
examine the same theme using different techniques
examine how universal situations translate differently in other countries
same techniques used across a variety of themes
flashbacks
Short story theory
what constitutes a short story?
Types of short story
autobiographical, impressionist, satisfying conclusion, moral tale, nursery rhyme
novel writers often write short stories too? why? to practice/ develop ideas/ cleanse the palate
history of short story- periodicals- appeal to the masses
unity of effect
context is important?
symmetry? concluding moment of insight? epiphany? minor or inconsequential narrator/ protagonist?confinement and release? typified characterisation
see Suzanne Ferguson:defining the short story: impressionism and form
Possibilities
?
More exploratory as a genre
try out new ideas
put characters in different situations
endings? satisfying conclusion
can explore the surreal
able to describe a larger message through description of the mundane?
allows exploration of themes such as climate change
modernism took a whole new approach inventing more possiblities
allows an entry point through the familiar to explore the unknown. Not necessarily explicit from the beginning, but creates a feeling or impression,
unsettling/ surreal
Can focus on a short time frame eg Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown
Constraints?
Limited space to develop characters.
Desai uses characters in more than one story
Must choose whicha spects of story to focus on- sense of place/ character/ event
Often the reader is hooked and feels disatisfied with the ending
lack of depth?
difficult to flashback to explain the motivation of a character
Themes
Noise- immerses the reader in the action rather than as a bystander
openings
memory
family
mothers
setting- literary geography. Does place matter? (see Brousseau in Hones- Cultural geographies)
setting can provide action according to tuan
does the setting contribute to the unity of effect, or produce action and contribute to its themes
could compare several stories with similar settings
urban vs rural- big differences
