An Essay of Short Story Literary Appreciation

Lecturer: Dr. Indrani Dewi Anggraeni, M.Si

Arranged by Group III

Ade Irawan
Desy Wulandari
Febri Angelina
Maya Luthfiana
Yohana Patricia

Universitas Pamulang

Jl. Raya Puspiptek, Buaran, Pamulang, Kota Tangerang Selatan, Banten 15310

(021) 741-2566

www.unpam.ac.id
 LITERARY APPRECIATION

Ogenlewe (2006) argues that 'literary appreciation refers to the evaluation of

imaginative literary works as an intellectual or academic exercise.' In this process, the reader
interprets, evaluates, or classifies literary works with the aim of determining artistic
advantages or disadvantages. work like that. Donelson and Nilsen (2009) echo this sentiment
and add that it is a process in which one 'measures the response of one's interpretation as a
reader to literary works'. This means that the reader can get pleasure and understand the
literature, understand its value and importance and admire its complexity.

A short story is a work of short, narrative prose that is usually centered around one
single event. It is limited in scope and has an introduction, body, and conclusion. Although a
short story has much in common with a novel (See How to Analyze a Novel), it is written
with much greater precision. You will often be asked to write a literary analysis. An analysis
of a short story requires basic knowledge of literary elements. The elemets are setting,
characterization, plot, point of view, climax, and style.

Setting is a description of where and when the story takes place. In a short story, there
are fewer settings compared to a novel. The time is more limited meanwhile characterization
deals with how the characters in the story are described. In short stories, there are usually
fewer characters compared to a novel. They usually focus on one central character or
protagonist.

The plot is the main sequence of events that make up the story. In short stories, the
plot is usually centered around one experience or significant moment. Point of view mean
from whose eyes the story is being told. Short stories tend to be told through one character’s
point of view.

The climax is the point of greatest tension or intensity in the short story. It can also be
the point where events take a major turn as the story races towards its conclusion. The
author’s style has to do with the his or her vocabulary, use of imagery, tone, or the feeling of
the story. It has to do with the author’s attitude toward the subject. In some short stories, the
tone can be ironic, humorous, cold, or dramatic

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 I. FATHER SKY AND MOTHER EARTH

Published 15 years after Kath Walker’s death, it contains a vital message as relevant
today as it was when the story was first published in 1981. This cautionary story,
accompanied by colorful illustrations on every facing page filled the world with plants and
animals, and everyone lived in peace and happiness until Human Animals came along with
their noise, rubbish, smoke, and oil. This picture book combines stories with an
environmental message about how human animals spoiled the beautiful world created by
Father Sky and Mother Earth. Fortunately, realizing their mistakes, human animals find a
way to stop the destruction.

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 II. THE GRATITUDE OF THE CRANE

"The Gratitude of the crane" is Japanese folklore that has long been told from time to
time. This story tells of a poor young man who rescues a crane caught in a trap in the middle
of winter. This story symbolizes the crane as an animal that brings happiness as the Japanese
believe. In this story, the crane repays the poor young man by turning into a beautiful young
woman, then lives with the poor young man and marries him. In the story, every time the
crane weaving a cloth, she will look thinner and worn, it proves that "Nature" representative
by the crane, will make every effort to make happy and return the favor of the person who
saved her life. The rule from the crane that the young man should not peek into the shed
when she weaving cloth teaches us that nature and humans can indeed live together, but there
are limits that must be maintained and should not be broken. If someone breaks it, then
nature and humans will not be able to live happily together. Nature will no longer be able to
give happiness to humans.

In Japan, crane are mystical creatures and are believed to have lived for a thousand years.
As a result, in Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture, cranes represent luck and longevity.
The Japanese refer to crane as "birds of happiness". The crane's wings are believed to carry
souls to heaven.

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 III. THE TALE OF BAMBOO CUTTER

Bamboo appears in ancient tales. "Taketori Monogatari (Tale of the Bamboo Cutter)" also
known as "Kaguya-hime (The Princess Kaguya)" is the oldest narrative literature in kana
script, and one of the most beloved stories in Japan. The story is about Kaguya-hime, who is
found inside a bamboo stalk. An old man and woman raise her and she becomes a beautiful
woman. Although many young men propose to her, she never marries. Eventually on an
evening when the moon is full, she returns to the moon, as it was her place of birth.

Bamboo is a very strong plant. Because of its sturdy root structure, it is a symbol of
prosperity in Japan. For years, people were told to run into the bamboo groves in the event of
an earthquake, because the bamboo's strong root structure would hold the earth together.
Bamboo and sasa (bamboo grass) are used in many festivals to ward off evil. On Tanabata
(July 7), people write their wishes on strips of paper of various colors and hang them on sasa.