Literature Online--English 112

Understanding Fiction:The Short Story

Strategies for Analyzing the Conventions of Short Stories

LITONLINE HOME | Course Info | Genres | Syllabi| Fiction Contents
For Previous Page Use Browser BACK Button

As we have discovered, the major conventions of the short story include

setting	plot
characters	theme
figurative language	symbols

See the glossary for an extended list of the many terms associated with short stories.

Often asking ourselves questions that focus on aspects of these areas as we are completing a second reading of the short story or even after the first reading can help to unlock the meaning of the story. Listed below are some questions to help you to think critically about the stories you read.

What exactly is the subject of the story?

What kind of mood does the story evoke?

What are the conflicts in the story?

Identify the character who faces a difficult choice. How would you describe the character?

Where does the story take place? Describe the setting.

Through whose viewpoint is the story told? Who is the narrator?

Are there any objects or aspects of nature that are mentioned repeatedly? In what ways do they contribute to the meaning of the story?

Compare any situation, character, choice, or decision in the story to some aspect of your own life. How the story is different from or similar to your own experience?

Assignment:
Return to a "A Rose for Emily" in your text and answer the above questions. Complete this assignment on your word processor and send it to your professor by email. Be sure to review and use the submission format for submitting email to your professor.

Assignment:
In the space below briefly explain what you learned from answering these questions.

Reminder: To save the this writing, resize your browser's window to reduce it to a section of your screen, open your word processor, and copy and paste the writing into the word processor BEFORE turning the page. Browsers, such as Netscape, clear typing areas as soon as you click to turn the page. Other browsers, such as Internet Explorer, do not clear typing areas until you leave the whole lesson. Be sure you include your name, college & campus, and date in the top left corner of the box.

Next Page