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.
Written in 1893, Anton Chekhov's short story "The Black Monk" is one of the most potent and revealing works of the writer. It reflects the profound philosophy of the author, as well as the feelings of worry and anxiety which, according to the memoirs of...
In order to rationalize the south’s peculiar institution of slavery, the southern plantation novel surfaced. It idealized the plantation lifestyle by creating and romanticizing characters that otherwise would be viewed upon as evil by blacks—the oppressed. Life was portrayed as easy and carefree by the...
The very first lines of Poe’s “The Man of the Crowd” imply that this is a secretive story by nature, for Poe suggests that this particular narrative may not “permit itself to be read” (p.1561). The story itself takes on a responsibility independent of that...
Sui Sin Far’s “Its Wavering Image” is a short story depicting a Chinese-American, young woman whom a White journalist beguiles for a story about the American Chinatown in which she lives. His Eurocentric proclivities lead him to impose his social attitude on her, thereby ruining...
Keywords: Langston Hughes,Woman,act of kindness Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my essay Storyteller Aesop once quipped, “Any act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted.” This...
“Hills Like White Elephants,” is a short story, written by author Ernest Hemingway. It is a story about a man and a woman waiting at a train station talking about an issue that they never name. I believe this issue is abortion. In this paper,...
Guy de Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace” is about a woman who longs for another life that seems a world away. She has a loving husband and a comfortable home but does not appreciate what she has because of her desire to be wealthy. The...
Alia stared at the night sky with a heart-warming smile as she stood on the rooftop of her school. A pitch dark sky filled with beautiful, glowing, shining stars flashing above her. Beautiful. Stars are beautiful. No matter what happens or what goes around them,...
In the short story “Sunflowers” by Sam Roddan the narrator explores how two people in a similar position can have opposite values. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my...
A short story by Joyce Carol Oates, setting in a small town, the main character is a 15-year-old girl named Connie. Connie is a beautiful young girl, who is always arguing with her sister and mother. She knows she’s beautiful, but she still craves the...
According to Marilyn Frye’s definition of “oppression”: “ the experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional and hence avoidable, but are systematically related to each other in...
Aye and Gomorrah is a short science-fiction written by Samuel R. Delany that dives into the themes of sexuality and social norms. The story highlights the abnormal relationships between two marginalized communities and the struggles they undergo trying to understand their situations. Although the novel...
Darkness and light are everywhere, and one cannot exist without the other. However, a combination of the two creates shadows in which a world can be altered into a form of dusk, twilight. It is in this shadowy light that a person may find themselves...
Throughout The Bloody Chamber, Carter uses traditional fairytales as a template for discussion on gender and sexual politics. Therefore, although her short stories contain conventional forms of transformation – men turn into wolves in The Company of Wolves, at the end of The Courtship of...
At the beginning of Boccaccio’s Decameron, both the male and female narrators hesitate to discuss the seemingly lewd topic of sexual relations. On Day I, the Florentines discuss various topics, yet only one narrator is brave enough to introduce sex as a theme: Dioneo. This...
In Redeployment, Phil Klay reveals the vulgar, brutal aspects of warfare behind the victories and heroism that are often shown in media. Through several short stories, Klay shares the difficult course that soldiers undergo with reconciling with their war experiences when they return home. Soldiers...
Throughout James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”, darkness is used as a symbol to represent both the dangers and hardships faced by the African American community. The narrator describes this darkness as being inevitable. He talks about his students saying that “all they really knew were two...
Growing up our parents’ tech us that telling the truth in any situation is the right thing to do. When we tell our first lie and of course if we get away with it, we then learn that the effect of telling that lie was...
It was past lunch hours, but I sat at the tea room, alone. My head in my hands, I watched the elevator, and let my mind wander… Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences...
The water was a crisp, delicate blue. It stretched out before him for miles and miles. It was endlessness at last. The machine beneath him thrashed and roared in its lust for dry land; yearning for its wheels to be granted traction once more. But...
Broken relationships, trust, joy, fear – these are all aspects of life that everyone can relate to in some shape or form. They are all emotions we all have to deal with at some point in life. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it...
The Tale of Omelas The tale of ‘The One Who Walks Away from Omelas’ is composed by Ursula K. Le Guin. The story opens with the depiction of a perfect city, Omelas, a brilliant place by the ocean, with residents celebrating festivals. The harbor sparkled...
Literature speaks to the way of life and conventions of a language or a people. The idea is hard to exactly characterize, however many have attempted; plainly the acknowledged meaning of writing is continually changing and advancing. “Backpack Literature” acquaints understudies with the thankfulness and...
Two people, one name: an inconspicuous, plain woman versus a poised young girl. A line is drawn between imagination and reality, but that line is blurred. In “Miriam” by Truman Capote, symbolism is incorporated to show that Mrs. Miller is living through the past in...
James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a tale of suffering. Placed in an environment that is “encircled by disaster” (Baldwin 1615), the narrator constantly attempts to escape from the suffering around him. He avoids all contact with those around him and becomes disconnected from who he...
“A sex symbol’s currency lies in her youth, her curves, in the suggestion that a sexual encounter lurks around the next corner.” (Sharon Krum, The Guardian) The power struggle between genders in society is something that can be seen every day, particularly in the media....
The discoveries can be transformative for individuals as they develop new ways of viewing themselves and society; however, sometimes broadening one’s understanding can have detrimental effects. Robert Gray and Katherine Mansfield, in their writings, portray how these negative discoveries may cause the persona to reject...
It is impossible to maintain a completely objective outlook on life, unaffected by personal needs, desires, and biases. Individual perceptions, no matter how grievously mistaken, strongly influence both trivial and crucial decisions. In Joseph Conrad’s “The Lagoon”, Arsat bases the momentous betrayal of his brother...
Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story “Sur” lends itself easily to feminist literary criticism. As a fantasy of alternate history about polar exploration, the story tells of nine women arriving at the South Pole over a year before Roald Amundsen’s all-male team gained the Pole...
“Everyday Use”, a short story written by Alice Walker, is told in the perspective of Mama. Mama is described as “a big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands”. The story begins with Mama waiting on her oldest daughter Dee to arrive home. It is learned that...
