Unit I The Short Story

What is it? ► Edgar Allan Poe’s definition = a narrative that could be read at one sitting, from a half an hour up to two hours.

► A short story  succinct straightforward plot  characters that are disclosed in action and dramatic encounter rather than description and comment.

► Notable writers of the literary short story in English include Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, O. Henry, & Ernest Hemingway.

► Short stories most often include the following literary elements (terms) :  Plot  Setting  Characters  Theme  Point of view  Irony

► Plot – The sequence of events that catches your interest and takes you through a story ► Characters -The people, animals, or other beings that take part in the story’s action

► Setting – The time and location in which the story takes place ► Theme – The message about life that the story conveys  List themes you have read

► Point of view – The perspective from which the story is told – i.e. First person point of view and third person point of view ► Irony -The contrast between an actual outcome and what the reader or the characters expect, or what might logically be expected.

Strategies (pg. 521) ► 1.Ask questions ► 2.Draw conclusions ► 3.Identify with a character ► 4.Use your senses