English 216 Short Story

These are journal entries from an EN216 Short Story class at Frederick Community College in Frederick, MD. Most entries have two parts:

1) identification of a major theme in the particular story analyzed

2) application of a short-story element to that story.

However, not all entries adhere to this form.

These entries are to be used as study guides; because this site is submitted to several major search engines, plagarism can easily be discovered by any teacher who is so inclined (if you are looking for more in-depth analyses of short fiction, or analyses of literary works from a completely different genre from Short Story, I have lots of essays for sale at www.MyEssays.com).

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Elements of Short Fiction:

Plot

--Exposition

--Conflict

--Rising Action

--Climax

--Resolution

Characterization

--Protagonist

--Antagonist

--Flat and Round Characters

Point of View

--1st Person (I, my, mine)

--3rd Person (He, she, theirs)

--Omniscient narrator

--Limited Omniscient narrator

Style

--Diction

--Sentence Structure

--Punctuation

--Use of Figurative Language

--Tone

--Realism

Theme

Setting

--Emotional

--Physical

One prominent theme in this story is the dynamic between the individual (soldiers) and the group to which he belongs (the platoon). The members of the platoon act collectively in several ways--namely they share the burden of carrying necessary equipment as well as memories from their homes. But O’Brien also delves into each character individually to remind the reader of the fact that the whole (platoon) is composed of several individual parts (each unique soldier).

Style

Diction: the narrator uses military terms and slang to emphasize the fact that the soldiers live by various rules and regulations. This illustrates that the soldiers are in foreign surroundings (they use language, slang, and terminology they would not use at home), and that they have little room in their heads for anything unrelated to their mission (in the case with their equipment, the soldiers must carry as few memories as possible in order to survive).

Sentence Structure: the story reads like an instruction manual or list that must be followed exactly. This list of instructions and regulations makes the platoon seem completely dedicated to the platoon, as there is little room in their heads or bags for anything else.

Punctuation: throughout most of this story, one thought is immediately concluded with a period, rather than being expanded on. This further presents the story as a list of rules, regulations, and equipment.

Use of Figurative Language: the physical things they carry in the story represent the emotional baggage they carry.

Tone: the tone of the story is tragic in that the characters lives are presented as routine, as though they will never leave Vietnam.

Realism: O’Brien focuses on minute details in order to emphasize the demands on the soldiers (physical, mental, and emotional).

Kazuo Ishiguro's A Family Supper

The theme of despair is found in the actions and thoughts of nearly every character of this story. Watanabe’s despair of the loss of his company leads him to take his life and those of his family members. The protagonist’s mother -- who is believed by her husband to have lost hope in one area of life or another -- resorts to suicide as well. And the protagonist’s father -- who lives with the loss of his son, his wife, and then his company -- feels a hopelessness that leads him to consider suicide as a relief from loneliness and guilt.

The setting of this story contributes to the reader’s overall perception of the characters. The story is set in a large, empty, cold home in the protagonist’s native-Japan. The protagonist, while walking through his old home, remarks “I had forgotten how large the house was […] but the rooms were all startlingly empty” (Ishiguro 860). This parallels with the illustration of his father -- the owner of the house -- who closes himself off emotionally from the rest of the world, including his children; when the protagonist asks his sister if their father is overly upset concerning the fall of his company, she replies “don’t know. You can never tell with Father” (Ishiguro 859). The large, empty, cold rooms can be likened to the father -- the large authority figure who appears devoid of emotion and warmth.

William Faulkner's Barn Burning

The theme of the story is the struggle with individuality. Sarty faces a moral dilemma where criticism of his father’s actions is concerned because he feels that he has an obligation to remain loyal to his father at all times. Because of his loyalty, he denies himself the freedom to even consider aloud that his father has done what everyone - including Sarty - knows he has done. He denies himself the freedom to disobey his father when it isn’t in his or his family’s best interests that he obeys him. By the end of the story, Sarty has spent so long (his whole life) obeying every order that his father had given that when he finally accepts his individuality and acts against his father, he has - in that one minute - caused so much damage to his father’s pride and name (or what there is of it) that he couldn’t go back home, even if he wanted to.

Chinua Achebe's Civil Peace

The name “Jonathan” means “Yahweh has given.” This is a recurring theme throughout the story. The protagonist, Jonathan, constantly focuses on what he has received or what he still has, rather than on what he has lost; instead of focusing on the fact that he has lost one son, he praises God that he still has the other five members of his family. After he and his family are robbed, he states that he counts the loss as nothing, as he believes he has a greater reward awaiting him in Heaven.

The point of view of this story reveals a great deal about the characters, contributing to the story’s meaning. The story is told in third-person from the perspective of an omniscient narrator. That omniscience is especially god-like in this story because it reveals the true feelings of the protagonist Jonathan, who believes he is a man of God. Though the theme identified above seems to establish the protagonist as a humble and thankful man, his actions in a specific instance prove otherwise: he tells the robbers to take his money, but to not leave until they had killed his family and him. This reveals the protagonist’s love of pride over faith, which he initially claims to have; and his value of money over family, who he initially praised God for saving. Had the story not been told from an independent third-person perspective, the reader would have likely not been told the truth about the robbing incident: the protagonist, who states afterwards that “nothing puzzles God,” does not realize how true his statement is: nothing, least of all shallow faith and hypocrisy, escapes God’s attention simply because it escapes the sinner’s attention.

Elizabeth Tallent's No One's a Mystery

A theme that shows up throughout the story is that of contrast. The narrator is very sentimental while Jack either holds back his emotions, or feels none for his mistress. Also, the narrator displays an optimistic attitude at all times: she sees gold in Jack’s zipper when she is pushed on the floor; she focuses on the dazzle in the heat of Wyoming; she notices a butterfly of dust on her jeans from being on the dirty floor of the truck. Whereas Jack maintains a pessimistic attitude: He focuses on what he hates the most in his wife; he insists that in a year, his mistress will grow weary of their relationship; he points out that breast milk is bitter, not sweet. The characters attitudes contrast in other ways as well: the narrator fantasizes about setting a table with her grandmother’s clean linens, while Jack’s life is as cluttered and unattended as his truck.

Yukio Mishima's Patriotism

The theme of devotion appears throughout the story. Shinji Takeyama, a lieutenant who, to his wife, is the ultimate symbol of Imperial devotion, remains devoted to his career even in death; in his suicide note, he simply writes “Long Live the Imperial Forces -- Army Lieutenant Takeyama Shinji” (Mishima 1247). His devotion acts as an example for his wife, who remains loyal to him throughout their relationship; when he is in danger of losing his life, she prepares to give hers also.

Characterization in this story aides the reader in understanding the actions of those characters. Had Mishima not delved so deeply into the minds of the two main characters, then their actions would not appear so honorable. The protagonist, Shinji Takeyama, teaches his wife to honor the code of loyalty he himself has towards his duties. On the surface, this action could appear to the reader as self-righteous and oppressive of Reiko. However, the reader knows from Mishima’s omniscience that Shinji’s intent is to prepare Reiko for the possible loss of her husband. Likewise, Reiko’s actions could be seen as an oppressed wife’s blind adherence to her husband’s wishes. But because Mishima allows us to understand her thoughts, we know that she, who has honestly pledged her lifelong loyalty to her husband, intends to keep her promises.

Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat

There are a good amount of Biblical references that I saw in this story. The most obvious example is that of the snake. Sykes, who is portrayed as a sinful person - one who gives into the temptation of violence and infidelity - tells his wife Delia that he has a stronger affinity to the snake than to her: “Ah think uh damn sight mo’ uh him dan you!” (Hurston 851). Because I saw this story as an allusion to the story of Adam & Eve, the illustration of the snake seems to be representative of the serpent, whose opinion Adam & Eve valued above GOD’s; the snake of which Sykes is so fond is representative of his preference of sin over fidelity. And, like in the case of Adam & Eve, it is that sin that eventually turns on Sykes.

The theme of this story is survival in the face of (or in spite of) adversity. Delia’s key to survival is her triumphant indifference to her husband's aggression, as she has learned early in her marriage to him. This is partly because she knows that physically she is no match for Sykes, so she thwarts his attempts to draw her into confrontations by remaining indifferent to his abuse. It states in the beginning of the story that she gave up on love when Sykes started cheating on her. Without love, Delia realizes that she needs to focus her energy on other things to make her life worthwhile. She chooses her work, house, trees and flower garden as the most important aspects of her life, all earned by her sweat. Her indifference to Sykes’s attempts to drive her away by sabotaging her life makes his efforts fail, and thus encourage her to survive.

Characterization:

The protagonist - Delia - is drawn into conflict with her husband Sykes, making him the antagonist. This conflict arises from Sykes’ unfaithfulness to and battering of Delia. Both characters are Round: Hurston draws an equally elaborate profile of each character; Delia is illustrated as an extremely self-sufficient black woman attempting to support her husband and herself during a time when blacks were not yet thought of on equal terms as whites. Hurston illustrates Sykes as a somewhat lazy and extremely unfaithful husband who takes advantage of his wife by giving what she has earned to his mistress. But the personality attributes that really define each character have to do with their ability to overcome the human tendency to make decisions based on emotions; while Delia’s decision-making is based on her ethics, Sykes follows his emotions, which can change from minute to minute. For example, Delia works to support herself as well as her unfaithful husband, though she is unhappy with her relationship with him. And Sykes, who does not overcome the tendency to make decisions based on his emotions, chooses to do things such as cheating on his wife and beating her in the heat of anger.

Albert Camus' The Guest

The first time I read this story, I was sure that the Arab man was guilty of the crime of which he is accused. I believed this because I trusted the word of Balducci and also assumed that Daru would not have reacted so disgustedly had the Arab not committed the crime. But after reading it again, I noticed something: Balducci doesn’t seem to be awfully sure about the nature of the Arabs crime; when asked by Daru why the Arab killed, Balducci replies “A family squabble, I think.” Aside from this, Daru’s emotions--his hatred for the inhumanity of mankind--spring merely from his acceptance of what Balducci believes has happened. In other words, his hatred doesn’t stem from the actions of the Arab (which are unclear), but from the account of these “actions” from Balducci. Balducci’s account is graphic but above all, apathetic. This lack of concern for the well-being of others is what disgusts Daru, though he doesn’t realize it is in Balducci that he finds this apathy and not the Arab. After considering all of this, I became unsure whether the Arab is guilty or innocent.

A main theme of the story is Racism. Though it is not directly identified as such, Daru and Balducci both make assumptions about the Arab man based on his ethnicity; Balducci and Daru constantly draw distinctions between “Us” and “Them”--the Arabs: “Is he against us?” “I’ll have time to see them coming.” Though Daru seems to be passive and sympathetic towards the Arab, he still scans his face assuming that in it holds the key to understanding him.

Characterization in this story is important because at first glance, it presents the characters in a straight-forward manner, but when analyzed closer, that initial perception is overthrown; The protagonist--the Arab “Guest”-- is an extremely flat character who is presented in this way for a very good purpose: so that the reader can realize that his or her initial assumptions about the Arab are unfounded because nothing is known about him. The Guest barely speaks to Daru, who believes that he knows him to be guilty. But this assumption is based only on the accounts of Balducci, who the Arab hasn’t spoken to either. The antagonist--Daru--is a dynamic character who realizes in the end that his shallow perception of the Arab has led him no closer to the truth than Balducci’s account of the “crime.” Daru is drawn into conflict with his Guest when he struggles to understand him. This conflict is so difficult because Daru is convinced that a person’s external appearance can reveal who he is; the narrator mentions several instances when Daru scans the Arab’s face, looking for guilt. His efforts are futile as he realizes that a person’s mind and history is not so shallow that it can be immediately detected as if written on that person’s face.

Alice Walker's Everyday Use

The main theme seems to me to be contentedness. The antagonist Dee is only content to please herself, which is evident in her demand for the quilts which had been promised to her sister Maggie. Likewise, she is happy only when she feels a deep bond to her roots in African culture, and is willing to change her name and personality so that she may feel a connection with those roots. The protagonist on the other hand is content to spend the rest of her life in the situation she’s been in for probably the majority of it: work (she describes herself as having “man-working hands”). She, unlike her daughter Dee, has little concern for her family’s heritage, seeing it more as something that can be useful to a person than as something that a person should base their whole life on. An example of this is her reaction to Dee’s argument that Maggie will “misuse” the quilts that have been in the family for generations by putting them to “everyday use.” The protagonist is unaffected by this argument, explaining that the quilts were made to be put to everyday use.

The point-of-view of this story contributes to the reader’s understanding of the mentality of the protagonist. Written in first-person narration, the story presents the world of a low-class black woman and her perception of that world. She tells of her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. But because she is not omniscient of the thoughts of her daughters, the reader has only her word to go by concerning the daughters’ personalities. However, the narration seems to be reliable: because she exudes indifference throughout most of the story, there seems to be little reason to assume that her view of her daughters is overly biased. She speaks somewhat favorably of both daughters, but is also willing to point out their flaws. The first-person point-of-view contributes to the reader’s understanding of the protagonist in that she is presented as a somewhat unlearned and humble woman by her narration: she neither understands nor claims to understand Dee or what moves her.

Ray Bradbury's The Veldt

The main theme of this story is the repercussions of materialism. The Hadley family relies on appliances and technology to turn on their lights for them, clean them, feed them, etc. But at the end of the story, it’s that technology that becomes the protagonist’s worst enemy: throughout the story, he states that he is desperate to return to the independence from appliances and technology–the independence that he and his family sacrificed years ago. But before he has the chance to completely abandon his dependence, it is that dependence (embodied in his children) that turns on him and his wife.

The setting of this story contributes to the main theme of materialism and its results. The story is set in a futuristic household cluttered with all sorts of appliances and unnecessary technological tools whose purposes are to put as little physical strain on the house’s inhabitants as possible (Peter, George Hadley’s son, is only concerned that abandoning the family’s technological and materialistic lifestyle will force him to tie his own shoes). These tools, which surround and define the characters, are the story’s setting itself; they constitute the only characteristics of the story’s atmosphere. And as the list of appliances grows, it becomes more apparent to the reader just how materialistic the characters are.

Bernard Malamud's Angel Levine

The first theme that jumps out is that of selfishness: while Manischevitz’s wife is on her death bed, he is worried about what he calls his problems, as though his wife does not share any of them. Shortly after Levine temporarily eases the pain of the protagonist and his wife, the narrator points out that Manischevitz “had hoped for a longer interval of easement, long enough to have a thought other than of himself and his troubles” (Malamud 1140).

Plot:

Exposition: introduces a Jewish tailor, Manischevitz, whose wife is dying and who feels that God is obligated to make his life easy. Manischevitz is clearly interested primarily in his own happiness: when reading the newspaper, he reads only what interests him, rather than current-events articles or reports that reflect the lives and problems of others. Manischevitz is accustomed to making assumptions about people based on their appearances: he initially assumes Levine had broken into his house, most likely because he is black; he does not believe Levine is or ever was Jewish because black Jews are rare.

Conflict: Manischevitz, who does not believe Levine is really an angel, argues with Levine over the matter.

Rising Action: Manischevitz and his wife are granted temporary relief from their ailments. When the relief is gone, Manischevitz goes into uncharted territory in order to find Levine, who he hopes will restore his health and that of his wife.

Climax: Manischevitz becomes increasingly angry with God, who he believes has afflicted his wife and himself out of hatred, or as a form of punishment. Resolution: Manischevitz overhears several black Jews in a synagogue discussing the distinction between spirit and body: because “soul is immaterial substance” (Malamud 1143), and God is concerned with the well-being of our souls, He is not necessarily punishing Manischevitz. From this revelation, Manischevitz also resolves that death is not a bad thing, as long as the spirit is secure. Further, Manischevitz realizes that a person cannot be judged or assumed to belong or not belong to a certain group based solely on something as shallow as physical appearance. As he is quickly taught, “from de speerit ariz de man” (Malamud 1143).

Flannery O’Connor’s Revelation

One of the most important themes of the story is that of the doctrine “judge not, lest ye be judged.” Mrs. Turpin--who makes a game of asserting one’s social status based on his or her appearance--displays various judgmental attitudes, particularly towards the “white trash” woman, about whom she makes certain assumptions: “You wouldn’t have no hog to scoot down, Mrs. Turpin said to herself” (O'Connor 1399). But Mrs. Turpin eventually pays the price of such judgmental statements when she is attacked by Mary Grace, who is disgusted by Mrs. Turpin’s self-congratulatory, hypocritical blather.

The narrative point of view of this story emphasizes the significance of the revelation at the story’s end. The omniscience of the narrator delves into the mind of Mrs. Turpin, exposing every prejudice and racist thought she has more-or-less secretly entertained. This emphasizes the significance of the later revelation by illustrating the severe class-separation enforced by Mrs. Turpin. That she allows herself to realize her own misdeed is incredible, considering the length of time and degree to which she had spent her life in the dark. Had the narrative point of view been that of Mrs. Turpin, it seems likely that this revelation would, out of her own pride, not have been addressed.

Ursula K. Le Guin's The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

A prevalent theme in this story is that of the belief that “ignorance is bliss”: the inhabitants of Omelas are upset by the situation of the little boy, yet they are unwilling to so much as approach him because doing so would require them to abandon their comfort zones. When several of these people do approach the little boy, they immediately leave Omelas rather than help the child. This they seem to do in order to escape the harsh reality of life by distancing themselves from it.

Q. What do we know about the narrator’s society?

A. It is a Utopia, comprised of all the characteristics which we would view as components of a perfect society.

Q. What is the narrator’s opinion of Omelas? The author’s?

A. The narrator recognizes the inhumanities of normal society, such as the institution of slavery, war, hatred, suffering, etc. However, the narrator does not necessarily recognize the hypocrisy of the Omelan peoples, who estrange themselves from those inhumanities when they are actually faced with it. The author, however, does recognize this contradiction, and urges her reader to recognize it as well.

Q. How does the narrator feel about “the ones who walk away”? Explain:

A. Because I am not completely sure if the ones who walk away are walking away from the reality of the little boy or toward it, I am not sure what the narrator feels about them. But the narrator’s voice seems to me to be somewhat neutral: he/she does not really reflect on those who leave the city; he/she merely explains where they go in order to escape the city.

Q. Why do you suppose the narrator is willing to let us add anything we like to the story?

A. Because a perfect society–which Omelas is described as–is defined by the individual; whereas one might think that a perfect society contains no religion, others might think that religion is essential to a perfect society.

Q. Describe the symbolic nature of the child’s situation:

A. The child represents the suffering of the real world which is ignored by and hidden from the view of the majority of its inhabitants.

Q. How would you describe the meaning of and the author’s attitude toward the story?

A. The situation of the isolated boy in the story is not necessarily seen by the Omelans as negative (as long as his misery does not interfere with the town’s happiness). But because we as the readers understand the nature of the child’s home and life, we understand that Le Guin, who gives us this information, means for us to view the situation as inhumane.

Q. Is “The Ones” a fable, a tale, or a short story?

A. I would say that the story is a fable, because it is meant to teach its reader a lesson concerning ignorance, inequality, and social injustice.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

All the characters in this story (save for the angel) show primary concern for earthly issues. This is what I saw as the most important theme in the whole story. The priest claims to be a man of God (who is not bound by physical barriers), yet he doesn’t believe that the angel is truly an angel because a spiritually rich being would logically be given worldly riches as well; the main family charges people to see the angel--a sight which is meant to enlighten those who see it for free. Instead, the family turns a holy sight into something of a “den of thieves.” After the angel regains his strength and flies away, the family is happy to see him go because they no longer feel guilt over the fact that they choose not to live godly lives.

Tone:

The tone of this story presents a satirical look at the misuse of religion: as I mentioned above, the children employ the angel as a toy or a circus clown whose job it is to entertain those around him. This perception is not unlike that of many who attend churches of snake-handlers and poison-drinkers, or those whose pastors claim to heal the sick; though few may realize it, they are basing their religious faith on silly shows, in which they may lose interest.

Others visit the angel purely with self-serving motives: a woman complains that, after counting every heartbeat, she has run out of numbers; another man complains that he cannot sleep because the sound of the stars keeps him awake. All of these people use religion as a quick fix to all of life’s problems. This is foolish because many of those same people will abandon their faith once they find that life is not always easy, and that God is not necessarily obligated to make it so.

The author also criticizes those who claim to follow a religion simply for self-justification. The priest is the perfect example of such a person: because the angel neither bows to him nor fits his initial perception of an angel, he likely has doubts about his own beliefs. But, rather than reevaluate his beliefs based on new information (from the god he claims to worship), he denies God in order to avoid loosing face in front of others.

Works Cited from:

"The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction: Stories and Authors in Context." Ed. Joseph P. Terry et al. New York, 2001.

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