Short stories are a form of fictional prose that typically focuses on a single character or a small group of characters. They are known for their brevity and ability to convey a powerful message in a short amount of time. Short stories often explore complex themes ...Read More
Brief Description of Short Story
Short stories are a form of fictional prose that typically focuses on a single character or a small group of characters. They are known for their brevity and ability to convey a powerful message in a short amount of time. Short stories often explore complex themes and emotions, making them a valuable literary form for both writers and readers.
Importance of Writing Essays on This Topic
Writing essays about short stories allows students and writers to closely analyze the elements of storytelling, character development, and thematic exploration. It helps to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as the ability to express ideas and interpretations effectively. Additionally, exploring short stories through essays can deepen one's understanding of human experiences and societal issues.
Tips on Choosing a Good Topic
- Consider the themes: Choose a topic that explores a specific theme or idea presented in the short story.
- Character analysis: Focus on the analysis of a particular character's development, motives, or conflicts within the short story.
- Narrative techniques: Explore the narrative structure, point of view, or symbolism used in the short story to craft an engaging topic.
Essay Topics
1. Argumentative
Essay Topics
- The impact of symbolism in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.
- Exploring moral dilemmas in "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.
2. Reflective
Essay Topics
- How "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman portrays mental illness.
- The use of irony and satire in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor.
3. Comparative
Essay Topics
- Contrasting the themes of love and loss in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry and "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.
- Comparing the use of setting and atmosphere in "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway and "The Storm" by Kate Chopin.
Concluding Thought
Exploring short stories through essay writing offers a unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of human experiences, societal issues, and the art of storytelling. By choosing engaging topics and critically analyzing the elements of short stories, writers and students can gain a deeper appreciation for the power of this literary form.
Kate Chopin was an American author who I discovered by accident one day on the desk at my workplace. Kate Chopin short story "The Storm" was a very interesting read as I spent my time working at a help-desk for 8 hours. It caused me...
In the story Samuel, by Grace Payel, four African American boys, by the names of Alfred, Calvin, Samuel and Tom, were playing in between the cars on a subway train. While the boys were laughing at a woman for telling them what they were doing...
The MacBook Pro was first introduced to the world on May 16, 2006, coming from Cupertino, CA where Apple HQ is. This laptop was the only of its kind and brought the technological world to a halt. With a 15-inch display, Core 2 Duo Processor,...
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James Joyce’s Dubliners is a collection of short stories that aims to portray Ireland, its people, and its issues. With the use of three short stories written by Joyce “Araby”, “Eveline” and “After the Race”, and the help of five secondary sources from Blake G.Hobby...
Much as his name suggests, Owen Warland wages a battle on society in The Artist of the Beautiful by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Throughout the story, he strives to create the Beautiful, a lifelike butterfly, and overcomes many setbacks to succeed briefly, only to have it destroyed...
‘How readily our thoughts swarm upon a new object, lifting it a little way, as ants carry a blade of straw so feverishly, and then leave it…’ Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences...
The opening of the short story ‘The Bloody Chamber’ by Angela Carter includes an abundance of conventions typical of the Gothic genre. The passage sets the scene for a tragic tale, where the innate curiosity of a young girl will inevitably find her in danger....
America used to be known as the land of opportunity. That was before the wars and the advent of technology. For post-modern authors, modernity and prosperity has turned America into a disappointment. Barthelme’s Snow White and Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 share similar ideas...
Societally, most individuals enjoy believing that they are without bias. Whether it be gender, race, disability, or religion, everyone has preconceived notions about select people groups. While this can be difficult to admit, Toni Morrison constructs her short story, Recitatif, in a manner which forces...
Have students ever thought of what makes a short sci-fi/fantasy story so extradentary to read? “Nine Lives” by Ursula K. Le Guin “is a novelette that was first published in Playboy magazine in 1968.At the time of the story’s magazine publication, Playboy requested that she...
A Haunted House Virginia Woolf’s short story “A Haunted House” was published in 1985 and offers up an interesting take on the modern ghost story. Using a modernist take on the genre, Woolf turns the conventions of a ghost story on its head, and at...
This short story addresses the complexity of human nature. We see that the father in the story has awareness and he is proud of not drinking routinely. We also know that he is aware of the consequences of his drinking. To go on furthermore, we...
“The strangest thing about all of this was that, before, in my old life, I hadn’t been any of these things: not a student leader or an actress or an athlete. There, I was just average, normal, unremarkable. Just Mclean”. This is a good start...
The best way to describe Michael Avenatti would be with the phrase “legal mercenary”. The California native is an attorney who always seems to be embroiled in some of the hottest legal squabbles of the past decade or so. The controversial attorney has lent his...
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas is an allegory in the form of a short story based on an utopian society in which displays philosophical ideologies and theories on society and its relation to scapegoatism. One of the main focuses throughout the text is...
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Along with stone tools, the Paleolithic Era brought on the division of labor according to gender. This division eventually created the inequality between men and women, which caused the endless battles women had to fight to regain their birth rights. Scant progress had been made...
There is a worn-out old saying about how when a door closes, there will always be a window to crawl through instead. But what if the window has bars on it? Or what if it is too high for someone to reach without anyone to...
Hanif Kureishi’s well known short story “My Son the Fanatic” (1997) explores themes of friendship, religion, fanaticism and identities. In a detailed discussion, this essay will discuss the significant relationship between the father, Parvez, and his friend, Bettina, who works as a sex worker. The...
Introduction In “Miss Brill,” Katherine Mansfield uses a combination of symbolism and mood to portray an old woman’s veiled loneliness and loss of innocence. In the story, the protagonist Miss Brill maintains the quiet life of a person who is content to watch the events...
The death of a man and the birth of a love affair are the subjects of two short stories by D. H. Lawrence and though their plots vary greatly, similar patterns of dark and light imagery, renewal and rebirth reinforce Lawrence’s theme of regeneration. In...
The family has long been the most basic unit of human society. In a traditional sense, it typically functions as a support system, often both financially and emotionally, with each spouse supporting the other and together the parents supporting their children during their ascent into...
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is, on its surface, about a woman who suffers postpartum depression, which is the ultimate factor leading to her insanity; however, a closer examination of the protagonist’s portrayal and description reveals that the story is primarily about her...
In the abstract of this article, we are made to understand that the idealism of Josiah Royce is informed by the criticism of George Holmes. The free and independent selves are featured in the absolute idealism as reflected by Josiah Royce. His facts and views...
“Moving on for peace and coming back for bliss” Bernadette Reeves seemed modest and friendly, with the personality of a fourth grade teacher from the first impression. However, when she talks about the history of St, Augustine, her tone and her overall personality would be...
“Reign over me” is the story of two men and the circumstances that surround them, and the other people that have a greater or lesser relationship with them. The axis of the action is Alan Johnson, a dentist who lives his life in a normal...
In the opening of “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the narrator, Sylvia, gives off the impression that she is arrogant and stubborn. She has no reservations when it comes to expressing her disdain towards those who cause her to doubt her own intelligence. For...
Depression is when a person goes this phase of pure negativity. The feeling is so strong that sometimes depression leaves a mental scar. Depression can stem from a mental issue or from a traumatic event in one’s life. Depression is actually a common disease, some...
If cultures are considered unifiable by way of shared stories, it is not inconceivable that cultures may be connected through distinguishable but ultimately similar histories of shame. Whether or not these histories force upon cultures the role of “persecutors” or “victims”, it is more than...
