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A Brief History of the Short Story

A Brief History of the Short Story. Forerunners of the Short Story. Parables Fables Folk Tales Ballads. Development of the Modern Short Story. Carefully contrived literary form Dates from the 19th century Closely related to the rise of these and other popular periodicals.

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A Brief History of the Short Story

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  1. A Brief History of the Short Story

  2. Forerunners of the Short Story • Parables • Fables • Folk Tales • Ballads

  3. Development of the Modern Short Story • Carefully contrived literary form • Dates from the 19th century • Closely related to the rise of these and other popular periodicals

  4. Washington Irving (1783-1849) • 1st important American short story writer • Laid the foundation for the development of the short story

  5. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) • Influential in the development of the short story • One of America’s most important writers • Wrote more than 100 short stories and sketches

  6. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) • Gave 1st definition of short story • Clearly laid the basic principle of all art – the principle of artistic unity • Click these links to hear Christopher Walken read “The Raven” and other audio choices http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/27247/details

  7. Poe and Artistic Unity • Poe’s essential characteristics of the short story: • brevity • unity • intensity Poe’s definition of artistic unity: That condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose. In an artistically unified work nothing is included that is irrelevant to the central purpose, nothing is omitted that is essential to it, and the parts are arranged in the most effective order for the achievement of that purpose.

  8. Equation of Literary Elements ARTISTIC UNITY • Plot + • Setting + • Characterization + • Title + • Point of view + • Symbol = ____________ THEME ARTISTIC UNITY ARTISTIC UNITY ARTISTIC UNITY

  9. Anxiety Doubt Frustration Restlessness Modern war Space exploration Computer technology Social Criticism Psychological Maladjustment Breakdown of human relationships Philosophical searching Unhappy people - lost guideposts of conduct and morality Common Themes of Modern Short Stories (19th -20th Century)

  10. Main Theme of Modern American Short Stories • The impact of harried American society on inner lives of its people

  11. Main theme of postmodern short stories (1960-1980’s) • Deconstruction • Overturning of accepted definitions of and values about existing systems of education, religion, legislation, economy, or any other aspect of life and society. • Two stories with postmodern themes • Graham Greene’s “The Destructors” • Eudora Welty’s “Everyday Use” Deconstruction by R. Skoracki

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