Unit 1: The Short Story

Introduction
- A short story is a brief work of fiction.
- A short story should be a complete work of art with a beginning, middle
and an end. Somerset Maugham
- The prose tale, a narrative that can be read at one sitting of one-half hour
to two hours, and that is limited to a certain unique or single effect. Edgar
Alan Poe
- According to Gerda Charles, Short Story is one of the oldest forms of creative
writing.
- In the beginning it was known as tale-telling.
- This genre became popular in the latter half of 19th century.
- It had its foundation from parable, fable and folk tale.
- It gives a swift glance, not a slow stare at life.
- It resembles a novel but generally has a simple plot and setting.
- It organizes the action, thought, and interactions of its characters into the artful
pattern of a plot, which has a beginning and develops through middle to some
sort of denouement at the end.
Basic Elements of a Short Story
- Plot: What happens or the sequences of events in the story is plot.
- Setting: The place where all the events in the story takes place.
- Characters: The persons whom we come across in the story.
- Theme: The central idea on which the story is developed.
Features of a Short Story
- It should be short and readable at a single sitting.
- It should have unity of purpose, of motive, of action and of impression.
- It should disclose only one idea with a singleness of purpose.
- The language used should be crisp and every action should move the short story
towards development.
History
- Geoffrey Chaucer is the first story-teller in modern English.
- His work, Canterbury Tales has got some beautiful stories.
- Walter Scotts Wandering Willies Tales is considered as the first model story to
the modern short stories.
- During 1830s Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne formulated the theory of
short story writing.
- Somerset Maugham is considered as a one of the best modern day story teller.
- Edgar Alan Poe, O. Henry and Chekhov are also considered as great story
tellers.
- Edgar Alan Poe is referred by many critics as the originator of the short story as a
specific genre.

Department of English
Sem:1 / Allied 1: Literary Forms and Terms
Title: Short Story
Faculty In-charge: A.Vinodh

S.K.VELAYUTHAM WOMENS ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE

Kurinjipadi

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