Short Story Review

1. Short Story Review Binder Core “A Boy & His Puppy” Stories

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. “The Monkey’s Paw” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • danger of wishing • home vs. outside • groups of three • literary devices: • foreshadowing • symbols: • paw • chess

7. “There Will ComeSoft Rains” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • war • technology • nature’s triumph • literary devices: • personification • foreshadowing • suspense

8. “A Sound ofThunder” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • interconnectedness • purpose of all actions • literary devices: • allusion: • Bible • Nazi Germany • irony • foreshadowing • simile & metaphor

9. “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

10. “Charles” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • identity • home vs. outside • appearance vs. reality • lies & getting caught • literary devices: • point-of-view • character:

11. “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

12. “Lamb to the Slaughter” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • betrayal • identity • devotion • literary devices: • internal conflict • suspense • dark humor • irony

13. “The Man Fromthe South” • setting: • characters: • climax: • themes & motifs: • trust • too good to be true • literary devices: • dark humor • point-of-view

14. “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