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The Essence of Short Stories

The short story is a brief fictional narrative that is typically written in prose and focuses on a single event or situation. It emerged as a distinct literary form in the 19th century, though brief narratives have existed throughout history in various forms like fables, myths, and legends. A short story is shorter than a novel and deals with fewer characters who are disclosed through action rather than complex plots or fully developed characters. While limited in scope, short stories aim to provide a satisfying treatment of their subjects. Famous examples include O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Jack London's "To Build a Fire."

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101 views2 pages

The Essence of Short Stories

The short story is a brief fictional narrative that is typically written in prose and focuses on a single event or situation. It emerged as a distinct literary form in the 19th century, though brief narratives have existed throughout history in various forms like fables, myths, and legends. A short story is shorter than a novel and deals with fewer characters who are disclosed through action rather than complex plots or fully developed characters. While limited in scope, short stories aim to provide a satisfying treatment of their subjects. Famous examples include O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Jack London's "To Build a Fire."

Uploaded by

Nabigha Mudassar
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Short Story

A short story typically takes the form of a brief fictional work, usually written
in prose. ... Anecdotes ( a short amusing and interesting story about a real
incident), fables (short story conveying a moral
), fairy tales, and parables are all examples of the oral storytelling tradition
that helped to shape the short story, such as 'The Painting of the Dog and
His Reflection' from 'Aesop's Fables'. It was in America that the short story
truly came into its own. Edgar A. Poe is called the "father” of the short story
because he is credited with setting up the first guidelines for the short story.
Short stories have no set length. Short story is shorter than a novel and that
usually deals with only a few characters. The short story is usually concerned
with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few significant episodes or
scenes. The form encourages economy of setting, concise narrative, and the
omission of a complex plot; character is disclosed in action and dramatic
encounter but is seldom fully developed. Despite its relatively limited scope,
though, a short story is often judged by its ability to provide a “complete” or
satisfying treatment of its characters and subject.
Before the 19th century the short story was not generally regarded as a
distinct literary form. But although in this sense it may seem to be a uniquely
modern genre, the fact is that short prose fiction is nearly as old as language
itself. Throughout history humankind has enjoyed various types of brief
narratives: jests, anecdotes, studied digressions, short allegorical romances,
moralizing fairy tales, short myths, and abbreviated historical legends. None of
these constitutes a short story as it has been defined since the 19th century,
but they do make up a large part of the person’s social environment from
which the modern short story emerged. Short stories always have an
important lesson attached to it. The purpose for reading a short story is to
enjoy and be hooked because short stories are little and always entertains
the reader. The stories make us learn something like being a good success,
helping people and other things. The development and rise of the
American short story in the 19th century was the result of simple market
forces.....Short stories were commercial products written for newspapers and
magazines by writers who were trying to make a living at it.

Some of the famous short stories are: “The Gift of Magi” (1905) by O.
Henry, “To Build a Fire” (1908) by Jack London, “The Monkey’ Paw “(1902)
by W.W. Jacobs, “The Story of an Hour” (1894, 1895) by Kate Chopin.

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