Literature (G.C.E.O/L) Short Story - Introduction




Short Story

Introduction

Genre

 

·        The short story is a literary genre that came into prominence in the late 19thcentury.It can be distinguished from the novel or novella by its shortness. It must also be distinguished from traditional short narratives like the folk tale and the fairy story because it presents ‘a slice of life’.

Look at the following definitions of Short Story;

 

o   “A short story is a piece of fictional writing usually less than 5,000 words that contains these basic elements, character, setting, plot, conflict, resolution, climax, dialogue, protagonist and antagonist” (www.iclasses.org/assets/literature/literary glossary.cfm)

 

o    “A brief fictional work that usually contains one major conflict and at least one main character.”

 

 

·        From these two definitions, one can identify the most important features of the story.              (a) Shortness - can usually be read within a short period.

      (b) Conciseness - information is precisely presented. 

      (c) Leaves behind a single impression 

     (d) The conciseness demands that the reader brings his/her experience to appreciate      it.

Understanding the Genre

 Climax

 Development of the action                                          Falling action

                        Exposition                                                         Resolution       

 

 

 

 Components

 

A short story (like the novel and the drama) has four components;

 

Plot

Setting

Characters

Theme

 Plot 

 The selection and arrangement of events is called the plot. The plot could be arranged in a number of ways. In some short stories the events move in a linear direction with one event leading to another. In others there is constant forward and backward movement, from past to the present, then to the future and again to the past.

 The plot has several stages:

• Introduction of characters

• The situation (initial conflict)

• The development of the action which creates heightened suspense/tension

• Climax (the peak point of the action)

• Falling action and conclusion

 

 Setting

 The background against which the incidents of the story takes place. It gives where, when and social conditions under which the story moves along. It includes the atmosphere and the tone of the story as well. 

Characters  

The ‘living beings’ in the story that seemingly think and act in order to keep the story going. The characters must seem to be ‘living’ or real individuals so that the reader feels strongly about them.

 Theme  

The message/messages conveyed by the story. It is what the story is about and it helps the reader to understand an eternal truth or truths.

 Point of view


The position from which the events of a story seem to be observed and presented. In some short stories the narrator tells the story as though he was actually taking part in the event. This is called the first person point of view. In others, the narrator does not appear in the story and relates it as an outsider who knows everything that goes on including what the characters think and feel. This is the third person omniscient point of view. Also, there can be third person limited point of view, in which the narrator confines the readers’ knowledge to what is observed.

 

 Tone


The way in which the author’s language suggests his attitude to the events and the characters described.  

 Mood 


 The particular feeling the readers derives from the short story. 

 


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