short story review

Short Story ReviewBinder Core

“A Boy & His Puppy” Stories

THEME• It is not the "moral" of the story.

• A moral is a piece of practical advice that can be gained from the novel to apply to our own lives.

• A theme is more complex than a moral and may have no direct advice or philosophical value that the reader can apply

• It is not the subject of the story.

• It is not a "hidden meaning" that needs to be pulled out of the story.

THEME• What theme is:

• Theme is the meaning released by the work when we take all aspects of the work in its entirety into account.

• It is an aspect of human experience that the author wishes to express.

• The importance of theme in literature can be overestimated; the work of fiction is more than just the theme. However, the theme allows the author to control or give order to his perceptions about life.

THEME• Discovering theme: Theme can be discovered only by becoming aware of the relations among the

parts of a story and of the relations of the parts to a whole:

– Characters: What kind of people does the story deal with?

– Plot: What do the characters do? Are they in control of their lives, or are they controlled by fate?

– Motivation: Why do the characters behave as they do, and what motives dominate them?

– Style: How does the author perceive reality?

– Tone: What is the author's attitude towards his subject?

– Values: What are the values of the characters in the story? What values does the author seem to promote?

MOTIF• recurring structures, contrasts,

or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

• a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

“The Monkey’s Paw”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– danger of wishing– home vs. outside– groups of three

• literary devices:– foreshadowing– symbols:• paw• chess

“There Will ComeSoft Rains”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– war– technology– nature’s triumph

• literary devices:– personification– foreshadowing– suspense

“A Sound ofThunder”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– interconnectedness– purpose of all actions

• literary devices:– allusion:

• Bible• Nazi Germany

– irony– foreshadowing– simile & metaphor

“An Occurrence atOwl Creek Bridge”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– fluid nature of time– blurred line between reality &

illusion– distorted sensory experience– color gray

• literary devices:– realism– foreshadowing (widens

towards end)– tone (seem)– symbols:

• driftwood• bridge

“Charles”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– identity– home vs. outside– appearance vs. reality– lies & getting caught

• literary devices:– point-of-view– character:

“The Lottery”• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– blindly following tradition– random persecution– rules

• literary devices:– specific details (sets up

shocking end)

– foreshadowing– suspense (lack of detail)– symbols:• lottery• black box

“Lamb to the Slaughter”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– betrayal– identity– devotion

• literary devices:– internal conflict– suspense– dark humor– irony

“The Man Fromthe South”

• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– trust– too good to be true

• literary devices:– dark humor– point-of-view

“The Tell-Tale Heart”• setting:• characters:• climax:• themes & motifs:– love & hate– self vs. alter ego (in/sanity?)– eyes– guilt– time

• literary devices:– flashback– irony– mood (sound)– imagery