ATWOOD, Margaret (born 1939) Canadian writer of novels, short stories and poems Atwood is a poet as well as a novelist, and her gifts of precise observation and exact description illuminate all her work. She is fascinated by the balance of power between person and person, and by the way our apparently coherent actions and…
Tag: Short Stories
A Hanging by George Orwell: An Analysis
The short story is based on the author’s first hand experiences as an imperial police officer in Burma. It has all of the trademark Orwellian touches, including the futility and the dehumanization that the imperial project entails. Moreover the story is a strong indictment of the practice of capital punishment. There are numerous clues that…
The Gospel According to Mark by Jorge Luis Borges: Summary & Analysis
Jorge Luis Borges is famous for his short stories. The Gospel According to Mark is an allegorical take on the time-worn story of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It excels in all the essential features of good short fiction. In particular, as this essay will argue, its theme, symbolisms, tone and style showcase Borges’ mastery…
The Purloined Letter: An Analysis
Edgar Allan Poe is a master of the short story form. All the skill and craft required of a short story are evident in The Purloined Letter. This short detective fiction is about displaying the cleverness of the investigator (Auguste Dupin) in solving a case. As is the norm in this genre of fiction, “the…
Edgar Allan Poe’s Eleonora: Summary & Analysis
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most illustrious litterateurs to have graced the art in the United States of America. His short stories and poems were enjoyed by the public during his own life time as they are still relished posthumously. His two greatest artistic gifts are his perceptiveness of psychological nuances and his…
The Kiss by Anton Chekhov: Summary & Analysis
The Kiss by Anton Chekhov is a brilliant short story. It contains all the requisite features of a good short story. Elements of excitement, drama, romantic infatuation and suspense make the story hold its ground. In terms of literary devices, the apt yet optimal use of imagery and symbolism accentuates the overall effect on the…
Livvie by Eudora Welty
Eudora Welty has made significant contributions to the cause of American literature. Born in 1909, she witnessed the causes and consequences of the Second World War, the Cold War and beyond. But her observations and insights into the collective American psyche during the twentieth century, especially that of the Southern states, would provide the material…
The Storm by Kate Chopin: Analysis
Kate Chopin in her short yet gripping story The Storm explores a plethora of turbulent emotions of the protagonists in the backdrop of an unexpected storm. Though dubbed a sequel to her earlier work “At the Cadian Ball” (1892) it shares little resemblance to Calixta’s daring. All through, there is an undercurrent of nascent feminism….