Steven Dunning and Short Stories What literary elements make one short story superior to another? Steven Dunning believes that the superior story should combine a good narrative structure with a deep psychological reality. It is quite obvious that he values psychological reality over a well-written narrative. In this paper I will be summarizing Dunnings analysis of two short stories, "Appointment with Love" and "The Chaser" the article is called "Short Stories and Taste." According to Dunning's analysis, "Appointment with Love" follows the structure of a well-written narrative by using many literary elements. The plot of the story is suspenseful, it has a shocking double twist ending that leaves the reader wondering what happened next, the characters seem very real and the reader can easily identify with them. The story also uses flashbacks to construct a background for the story's climax. If the reader values a tight plot structure he/ she will believe that "Appointment with Love" is the superior short story. The writer uses meager stereotypes to describe the story's characters. Dunning points out that this story is extremely flawed, both in the type of language it uses and the descriptions of the characters seem to contradict themselves. An example of these contradictions is the young pilot Mr. Blandford inability to see the correct time on a very large clock that he was close to. Military pilots must have 20/20 vision or better in order to fly an aircraft, so there should be no need for the pilot to squint. Dunning wonders how Blandford knew that Hollis was a woman's name seeing as how the Webster's dictionary lists Hollis as a man's name. Dunning also questions the moral value of the story, and wonders how Hollis could be so self-righteous and conceited that she tampers with Blandford's psyche by giving him the test. Dunning also believes that it is unrealistic for Hollis to ask Blandford to suspend his primal animal urges and search for a type of love that is deeper and more fulfilling.
In the story, “The Killing Game”, Joy Williams, uses several diffenent types of writing skills to presuade the reader to see her views.
"Unit 2: Reading & Writing About Short Fiction." ENGL200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 49-219. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Wilson, M. & Clark, R. (n.d.). Analyzing the Short Story. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.limcollege.edu/Analyzing_the_Short_Story.pdf [Accessed: 12 Apr 2014].
Pike, Gerald. “Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers.” Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Research International Limited, 1990. 90. Print.
Some authors use suspense to make their readers more intrigued and to create a feeling of wanting to know more. In “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl, Billy Weaver is looking for a place to spend the night and finds himself in front of a bed and breakfast. However, the Landlady, owner of the bed and breakfast, is a murderer. However in “A Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator originally wants to kill the old man because of his eye the beat of the old man's heart is what drives the narrator over the edge. But, the police came and the guilt and the sound of his own heartbeat made the narrator confess to killing the old man. Therefore suspense is depicted in both Roald Dahl’s short story, “The Landlady” and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “A Tell-Tale Heart” through the use of tone and character development.
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
Short stories are a common literary form that allows the author to convey much in a condensed manner. Short stories can vary greatly in their purpose and structure. In a comparison of the stories "The Swimmer" and "The Drunkard," it is clear that the former is the superior literary work, as it utilizes literary elements more thoroughly in order to convey more significant themes.
“Short Stories." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 127. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. 125-388. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. VALE - Mercer County Community College. 28 February 2014
In Raymond Carver's 'The Bath' and rewritten version of the story entitled 'A Small, Good Thing', the author tells the same tale in different ways, and to different ends, creating variegated experiences for the reader. Both stories have the same central plot and a majority of details remain the same, but the effects that the stories have upon the reader is significantly different. The greatest character difference is found in the role of the Baker, and his interaction with the other characters. The sparse details, language and sentence structure of 'The Bath' provide a sharp contrast emotionally and artistically to 'A Small Good Thing'. In many ways, 'The Bath' proves to have a more emotional impact because of all that it doesn't say; it's sparse, minimalist storytelling gives the impression of numbed shock and muted reactions. The descriptive storytelling of 'A Small Good Thing' goes deeper into the development of the characters and although it tells more story, it ends on a note of hopefulness, instead of fear or desperation. Each story has it's own magic that weave it's a powerful. When compared to each other the true masterpiece of each story is best revealed.
Magill, Frank N., ed. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Revised ed. Vol. 2. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993. 7 vols.
A successful descriptive narrative displays the necessary information for a reader to explain or develop speculations within the material. Narrating the text of a story, told through one or more narrators, allows the audience to connect with the feelings of the narrator. A description includes imagery for the audience’s recognition. Furthermore, descriptive narratives have a purpose and are there for a reason. “Shooting an Elephant” and “The Lottery” are both descriptive narratives. Descriptive narratives show a clearer understanding of the passage; therefore, the stronger text is “Shooting an Elephant” because of its detail and the plot’s conflict.
Callahan, John. "Review of Love and Trouble." Short Story Criticism Vol. 5. (Essay date 1974).
Short stories are temporary portals to another world; there is a plethora of knowledge to learn from the scenario, and lies on top of that knowledge are simple morals. Langston Hughes writes in “Thank You Ma’m” the timeline of a single night in a slum neighborhood of an anonymous city. This “timeline” tells of the unfolding generosities that begin when a teenage boy fails an attempted robbery of Mrs. Jones. An annoyed bachelor on a British train listens to three children their aunt converse rather obnoxiously in Saki’s tale, “The Storyteller”. After a failed story attempt, the bachelor tries his hand at storytelling and gives a wonderfully satisfying, inappropriate story. These stories are laden with humor, but have, like all other stories, an underlying theme. Both themes of these stories are “implied,” and provide an excellent stage to compare and contrast a story on.
Eileen Baldeshwiler’s “The Lyric Short Story” discusses the two different branches of short story—the “epical” and the “lyrical” (231). Baldeshwiler highlights the separate functions of the forms by focusing on their stylistic differences. The epical short story, according to Baldeshwiler, relies heavily on “external action” that is “fabricated mainly to forward plot, culminating in a decisive ending that sometimes affords a universal insight” (231). Further, the plot and characters are “expressed in the serviceably inconspicuous language of prose realism” (Baldeshwiler 231). In other words, the characters, plot, and overall tone of the piece adhere to reality. In opposition to this style, Baldeshwiler explains that the lyrical short story “concentrates o...
Allen, Orphia J., Short Story Criticism. Vol 16. Ed. Thomas Vottler. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, Co., 1990.