1. Introduction to Short Fiction

2. Background Fiction writing in its current form barely 200 years old Novel and short story considered modern forms, and are relatively new inventions Come from distinct oral traditions –Myths –Fairy tales –Folk tales –Fables/parables

3. The Short Story No one really knows exact origin of the short story Believed to have come from the Italian novella during the Renaissance Novella – Short stories that are long enough to be published in stand-alone book form (~15,000 words) Saw great rise in the early 1800s in the US –Literary market of newspapers and magazines aimed at middle class –Increasing literacy rate among the non-wealthy –Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, others Short story flourished in early 20 th century, then declined in the latter half of the century

4. Analyzing and Discussion Short Fiction Literary reading falls somewhere between escapist and didactic reading –Escapist reading – reading for fun or enjoyment –Didactic reading – reading for a meaning or lesson (moral) Literature must be analyzed and discussed in order to yield its meaning(s) Specific vocabulary / lexicon for doing so Several components of a short story work together to create a unified meaning or theme –Plot –Characterization –Point of View –Setting –Style

5. Theme Theme – the overall meaning a reader gets from a work of literature Oftentimes not readily apparent –Can be frustrating –Different from escapist or didactic reading Can be interpreted in multiple ways –No interpretation is 100% correct, or the only possible answer –Some interpretations are more valid than others –An interpretation only as valid as the supporting evidence

6. Plot Plot - a series of related events in a work, arranged in dramatic structure Each event connects to the next like a chain Events are constructed deliberately to “hook” the reader’s curiosity and pull them forward in the story Not necessarily chronological, but can be No truly original plots; only varied combinations of plot elements

7. Dramatic Structure –Exposition The setup of the story Who, what, when, where Should “hook” the reader like any good introduction Examples: “Once upon a time,” in media res (“in the middle of things”) –Complication / Rising Action Some sort of conflict arises to move the plot –External Conflict – struggle with an outside force –Internal Conflict – struggle inside the character’s head (emotional) Building tensions that will be resolved

8. –Climax / Falling Action Climax – The moment of greatest tension in the story Conflict is resolved in a pivotal scene Indicates that the story’s tensions will be released Surprise Ending (O. Henry Ending) – A twist that takes the reader by surprise –Resolution / Denouement Denouement – French term meaning “to untie a knot”; the resolution of a story’s conflict –Closed Denouement – Ties up all story’s loose ends –Open Denouement – Leaves lingering questions for the reader “Wraps up” the story, though not always completely

9. Characterization Protagonist – the main character of the work –Greek term meaning “first debater” –Not always heroic; often an anti-hero – a central character who is not a clear, didactic hero Antagonist – Opposing character, often in conflict with protagonist

10. Two main types of characterization –Round Character – a character that is well-developed and feels lifelike Often the protagonist Complex and often contradictory character traits –Flat Character – a character that is not developed with much detail Usually reduced to a single character trait Stock characters – trivial, stereotypical supporting characters Two types of character development –Static – the character does not grow or change through the course of the story –Dynamic – the character grows or changes throughout the work

11. Point of View Point of View – the voice of narrative authority in the story –Three basic kinds: first, second, third person –Most short fiction will be first or third First-Person – the narrator is a participant in the action of the story –Point of view is limited –Unreliable narrator – a narrator whose limited perspective causes the reader to doubt his or her account (Poe)

12. Third-Person – the narrator is removed from the action of the story –Point of view can be limited or unlimited Third-person limited – the narrator is detached but doesn’t know everything Third-person unlimited (omniscient) – the narrator is godlike, and knows everything about everyone in the story –Authorial intrusion – the narrator comments upon the actions and thoughts of the characters Point of view should be consistent throughout the story, with few exceptions

13. Setting Setting – the time and place of the story –Historical time period –Physical location –Atmosphere – the emotional feeling of a setting Both specific and general –Specific setting – the precise time and place where the story takes place –General setting – broad sense of the time period and social backdrop of the story Important in placing characters’ and authors’ attitudes and actions in context

14. Style and Tone Style – the characteristics of language use in a work or body of works –Diction –Sentence structure –Punctuation –Figurative language Tone - The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and readers –Can influence the reader’s emotional response to the work –Created through word choice and details Can vary in accordance with work’s intended theme