Literature: short stories.

THEORY.
Main characteristics/elements of short stories.
- They usually contain very few characters.
- There are very specific events.
- There is usually a single predominant incident and a single main character.
- Staying within the limits of a single effect.
- The plot is divided into very specific steps:
o Exposition: presentation of the setting, characters, mood, atmosphere. It’s a
brief introduction of what we are going to read.
o Rising action: moment in which the story starts to develop. Beginning of the
conflict. Complications, issues.
o Climax/peak: the moment of highest tension of the story. The most intense,
suspenseful or emotional moment of the story.
o Falling action: the moment in which the climax/peak starts falling. We see
the aftermath of the climax.
o Outcome: the end of the story, the resolution.
Characters.
- Flat/static: mainly secondary characters. They don’t drive the story; they do not
evolve.
- Round/dynamic: usually the main characters.
Narrator: classification based on the Point of View of the narrator.
- Third-person narrator.
o Omniscient: the narrator knows everything about everyone. May make
comments and even break the fourth wall.
o Limited: the narrator only follows one character.
- First-person narrator.
o Protagonist: narrates the story through his perception and POV.
o Witness.
- Second-person narrator.
o Not very common.
o Usually appears in self-help books or “choose your own adventure” books.
Mood of the story: related to the feelings a short story causes to the reader.
Setting: related to the time and place where the story is set.
Theme: a way of summarizing which are the main topics dealt with in the story. Usually
summarized with a noun phrase. Example: “the value of friendship”.
Style: the kind of language, structures the author uses. Simple or complex sentences –
florid or simplistic language – tone, how the writer decides to convey the attitudes and
actions of the characters.
Symbols: analogies to other ideas or concepts. The words that create symbols may be
figurative or literal, and the symbol is the thing described. They can be interpreted in
different ways.

STORIES: ANALYSIS.
1. THE STORY OF AN HOUR – KATE CHOPIN.
Overview of the author.
Kate Chopin was born in 1850 in Missouri. Attended a very religious school. Got married,
had four children, dedicated her life to her husband. Wrote about many controversial topics
for the time, which made her face a lot of criticism.
Plot division.
o Exposition: characters are presented. We find out that we are going to read about a
wife, Louise, finding out about her husband’s death. We are also told about
Louise’s heart condition.
o Rising action: Richard shares the news of Louise’s husband’s death in a railroad
accident. Louise is shocked, sad, grieving.
o Climax: Louise becomes aware of the joy that finding out about her husband’s
death brought her. She starts feeling a sense of freedom and excitement after
realizing that she had her whole life ahead of her, only for herself. She rejoices in
her newfound sense of independence.
o Falling action: it is revealed that Brendy Mallard, Louise’s husband, had actually
been far from the scene of accident and was in fact still alive. He shows up at their
house. All characters are shocked by the sudden appearance. Louise falls to the
ground.
o Resolution: Louise is pronounced dead. Everyone assumes she died of a heart
attack brought on by the happiness of seeing Brendy again. In fact, she died
because she saw her freedom taken away.
Characters.
o Louise Mallard. Main character, round.
o Brendy Mallard. Secondary character, flat.
o Josephine (Louise’s sister). Secondary character, flat.
o Richards (Brendy’s friend). Secondary character, flat.
Setting: late 1800s in the USA. Mallard House. Contemporary to the author.
Mood: dark, tense, ironic. Sadness – excitement and ambivalence (internal struggle).
Themes.
The value of freedom – the oppression of marriage – the role of women in society – the
forbidden joy of independence.
Symbols.
o Heart trouble/role of the heart: Louise is afflicted by a weak heart, which also
represents her dilemma regarding marriage and independence. The news of death
would elicit a negative reaction in someone with heart problems, but in fact, it
brings Louise excitement. Finally, her heart “breaks” due to the sudden loss of her
independence.
o Open window: represents the freedom and opportunities that await Louise after
Brendy’s death. Through it, she can see the new life. Leaving the window and the
view also foreshadows the loss of her freedom.
Narrator: omniscient third person.

2. THE FOUNTAIN OF FAIR FORTUNE – JK ROWLING.

Overview of the author.
JK Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. Creator of the popular and critically
acclaimed Harry Potter series. The Fountain of Fair Fortune was one of the stories in the
wizarding fairytales collection, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The Tales of Beedle the Bard
was a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches by Beedle the Bard.
Beedle the Bard was an English wizard and author of wizarding fairytales from the 15th
century.
Plot division.
o Exposition: characters are presented, as well as the main element of our story (The
Fountain of Fair Fortune). We are told about the importance of this fountain, and a
little bit about each character, their sorrows, and why they would like to bathe in the
fountain.
o Rising action: the three witches, along with Sir Luckless (a knight), begin their
journey through the enchanted garden towards the fountain. They come across
different obstacles that they need to overcome in order to reach the fountain. All
three obstacles are overcome thanks to the “powers” of the three witches (Asha’s
tears, Altheda’s sweat, and Amata’s treasure from her past).
o Climax: they finally reach the fountain and have to make the decision as to who
would bathe in it.
o Falling action: the witches give up their chance of bathing in the fountain because
they found solutions to their problems other ways. Sir Luckless bathes in it.
o Outcome: it is revealed that the fountain’s water actually carried no enchantment at
all. They live happily ever after.
Characters.
o Asha. Main character, round. A witch who has an apparently incurable sickness.
She is trying to get to the Fountain to banish her symptoms so as to have a long
and happy life
o Altheda. Main character, round. A witch who has had her home, gold and wand
stolen by an evil sorcerer. She wants to reach the Fountain in hopes of finding
relief for her powerlessness and poverty.
o Amata. Main character, round. A witch who has been deserted by her lover. She
wants to get to the Fountain to get rid of her grief and longing.
o Sir Luckless. Secondary character, flat.
Setting: in an Enchanted garden, high on a hill and protected by tall walls and strong
magic. Harry Potter universe. Unspecified time, but before the 1800s.
Mood: cheerful, encouraging, hopeful regarding wishes and desires. Magical ambience.
Struggling characters.
Theme: the possibility of creating your own destiny – the value of fighting for what you
want.
Symbols.
Names.
o Sir Luckless: ironically, he becomes the “lucky one” as he ends up being the one to
bathe in the fountain, despite having no aspirations to do so.
o Asha: means alive and well in Arabic. At the beginning she is terminally ill, but by
the end she is cured.
o Altheda: means “to heal” in Greek.
 o Amata: Italian word for beloved. Her past love broke her heart, and after the
Fountain she gained a new love (letting go of the past).
Challenges.
o Fountain: represents joy and peace.
o Hills: represents power and self-sufficiency, perseverance.
o Stream: represents introspection, mirrors oneself. Amata looks into her own mind
and purifies herself from the memories of the past.
Narrator: omniscient third person.

3. MR LOVEDAY’S LITTLE OUTING – EVELYN WAUGH.

Overview of the author.
Evelyn Waugh was born in 1903. He was an English writer of novels, biographies and
travel books. Satirical novelist, wrote a lot of satirical stories and novels full of black humor,
irony, with a style of brief and declarative sentences. During WWII he served in the Royal
Marines and the Royal House Guards. Many of his novels and stories were based on his
own experience.
Plot division.
o Exposition: The characters are presented. We are given a background of the family
life. We find out about the father’s attempted suicide at the party, who is taken to
the asylum that day – which is where Angela and her mother are going to visit him
at the beginning of the story (Angela’s first visit, after 10 years).
o Rising action: Angela meets the Lord’s “secretary”, Mr. Loveday and learns that he
wasn’t one of the wards, but one of the inmates. She hears about Loveday’s story
(self-committed after strangling a woman on a bike 35 years ago) and decides to
help him leave the Asylum. She is on a mission to free the man who’s been on his
best behavior for decades from the restrains of the asylum.
o Climax/peak: Angela achieves her goal – Mr. Loveday achieves his liberty and
leaves the asylum for good.
o Falling action: Loveday returns to the asylum that same afternoon, content with the
idea of staying there for the rest of his days.
o Outcome: the strangled body of a young woman and her bike are found half a mile
the road from the asylum gates.
Characters.
o Angela Moping. Main character, round. Angela stops being an irresponsible girl of
high society indulged in affluence and privilege.
o Loveday. Main character, flat.
o Lady Moping. Secondary character, flat.
o Lord Moping. Secondary character, flat.
Setting: England, beginning of the 20th century (1930s). Contemporary to the author.
Mood: gloomy and tragic atmosphere, interrupted by some short-lived upbeat optimism.
Irony. Changing atmosphere.
Theme: the misconceptions about mental illnesses – the differences between two opposite
social classes – being obsessed with the idea of justice can blind you – not everything is
what it seems (looks can be deceiving – appearances).
Symbols.
Names.
 o Lady Moping: “To mope” means to be sunk in dejection or listless apathy. It
denotes a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. INDIFFERENCE. To be
unhappy and unwilling to think or act in a positive way, especially because of a
disappointment.
o Angela: her name is derived from “angel”. This is demonstrated by the fact that
she’s very innocent and very involved in doing good deeds.
o Mr. Loveday: would love to spend that one day out of the asylum.
Social classes.
o Lord and Lady: upper class.
o Mr. Loveday: he serves the private patients, even if he’s not one of them. “We
allow him to mix freely with them”. “We allow them to give him small tips for
services rendered”.
o “Annual garden party”: event that clearly represents upper-class. When the party is
ruined, her reputation is ruined. “in front of the Chester-Martins”. “Her husband had
betrayed her basely on the one day in the year when she looked for loyal support,
and was far better off than he deserved”.
o Privileges of the “wealthier lunatics”: they can choose their own clothes (don’t have
to wear a uniform), smoke the best brand of cigars, hold private dinner parties with
certain inmates.
Black, white, grey.
Page 2: “Put it in black and white”.
o Black: black is black to anyone anywhere anytime under any circumstance.
MADNESS.
o White: white is white…. SANITY.
The same principle applies to the distinction between sanity and madness. There is no
bridge that connects these two extreme ends of the spectrum.
o Grey: MR. LOVEDAY. Somehow manages to walk through the barrier of common
sense and travel between polarities. “Oh, but Mr. Loveday isn’t a warder”. “You
don’t mean he’s cuckoo, too?”. “He is an inmate”. He’s not a warder, not a cuckoo:
he has a distinct “role”, because he appears to be saner than any other inmate
(misconception of mental illness).
o GREY ZONE of the value system. Uneasy questions of what will happen if such
self-evident distinctions as between black and white dissolve and disappear. What
standard will uphold the law and order of society?
Narrator: omniscient third person.

4. MRS. BIXBY AND THE COLONEL’S COAT – ROALD DAHL.

Overview of the author.
Roald Dahl was born in 1916. He was an author of children’s literature and short stories, a
poet, and a wartime fighter ace.
Plot division.
o Exposition: characters are presented. We are given a short description of their life
and the dynamic of Mrs. Bixby and Mr. Bixby’s relationship. We learn that Mrs.
Bixby is in an eight-year long affair with the Colonel.
 o Rising action: after one of Mrs. Bixby’s monthly visits to the Colonel’s house in
Baltimore, she receives a present from the Colonel – a mink coat – as a parting
gift. She realizes she cannot take it home, as it would be suspicious and could
reveal her affair. She attempts to solve this conflict by leaving the coat at a pawn
shop, but she refrains from leaving any personal details. She then convinces her
husband that she found a pawnshop ticket and urges him to pay for the pawned
object.
o Climax: Mrs. Bixby goes to her husband’s office expecting to find the mink coat.
Instead, he gives her a mink scarf.
o Falling action: Mrs. Bixby pretends to be elated by the cheap scarf.
o Outcome: on her way out, Mrs. Bixby sees her husband’s assistant wearing the
mink coat and realizes that Mr. Bixby is also having an affair.
Characters.
o Mrs. Bixby. Main character, round.
o Mr. Bixby. Secondary character, flat.
o The Colonel. Secondary character, flat.
o Mrs. Pulteney (Mr. Bixby’s secretary assistant). Secondary character, flat.
o Pawnbroker. Secondary character, flat.
Setting: winter (near Christmas) in NY/Baltimore train station/Pawnshop/Dental office/The
Bixby’s apartment. Late 20th century.
Mood: tense, ironic, secretive, uncertain, suspense.
Theme: the role of women in society – what goes around comes around (karma) – what’s
done in darkness will come to light.
Symbols:
o Coat: represents Mrs. Bixby’s desires and the link between her and the Colonel,
what she views as desirable riches that can be flaunted and make her feel
confident.
Narrator: limited third-person narrator. Follows Mrs. Bixby’s POV.

5. THE LAST QUESTION – ISAAC ASIMOV.

Overview of the author.
Isaac Asimov, born in 1920, was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at
Boston University. Best known for his hard science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries
and fantasy, as well as much non-fiction.
Plot division.
o Exposition: Adell and Lupov make a bet and ask Multivac, a global supercomputer,
if entropy can be decreased or inversed.
o Rising action: time goes by and different people keep asking the same question to
Multivac descendants, always getting the same answer: “INSUFFICIENT DATA
FOR A MEANINGFUL ANSWER”.
o Climax: the stars and galaxies die and snuff out. The universe is dying.
Humankind, evolving alongside the AC (analog computer) start to fuse.
o Falling action: humanity and the supercomputer merge completely. “Man” now
exists as a single entity, an amalgamation of everyone’s consciousness. AC has
finally collected all the data possible and knows how to reverse maximum entropy
and end Chaos.
 o Outcome: AC finds that they have nobody they can tell their answer to. It decides
to recreate the world (restart, reset), so it can have someone to talk to, and at the
same time it reverses entropy. “LET THERE BE LIGHT”.
Characters.
o Humanity. Secondary character, flat. Stuck on one question. In all its iterations:
Adell and Lupov, the Jerrods, Immortals, Floaty minds, Hivemind Man.
o Machine. Main character, round. In all its iterations: Multivac, Microvac, Galatic AC,
Universal AC, Cosmic AC, Omnipotent AC/fused with humanity.
Setting: set in the future, beginning in the year 2061. Spans thousands, millions, trillions of
years of the universe’s history.
Mood: lighthearted at first, but begins to become more somber and apathetic as humans
realize they will not be able to survive maximum entropy. Atmosphere full of uncertainty,
anxiety, suspense.
Theme: environment and destruction – the potential of technology – human’s desire for
survival – the end is only the beginning of something new.
Symbols.
o Parallelism with The Bible. AC is God/Jesus and the humans are its disciples. “Let
there be light” is a phrase used in the Book of Genesis.
o Names degrade into simple numbers and letter. This is a chronological portrayal of
the disappearance of individuality.
Narrator: omniscient third person.
NOTE: Entropy is a measure of randomness/disorder. We exist because there is an
imbalance in chemical components, in the world. Energy is the heat produced from the
movement of different particles, which tend to dissipate into a balanced state. When all
things have reached maximum balance, there is also maximum entropy.

6. THE THING AROUND YOUR NECK - CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

Overview of the author.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born in 1977, is a Nigerian writer whose works include
novels, short stories and nonfiction.
Plot division.
o Exposition: Akuna goes to America to live the “American dream”.
o Rising action: she leaves her “uncle’s” house in Maine after she’s molested by him.
She reaches Connecticut and starts working in a restaurant. One night, she meets
one of the customers (a white man) – they start talking and eventually date.
o Climax: Akuna finds out about her father’s death.
o Falling action: she decides to go back to Nigeria.
o Outcome: Akuna leaves, and we don’t know if she plans on going back to America
or not.
Characters.
o Akuna. Main character, round.
o White man she dates. Secondary character, flat.
Setting: Small towns in the USA (Maine, Connecticut), contemporary.
Mood: overwhelming, lonely, desolation.
Theme: the struggle of black women in a white world – the complications immigrants face
after living their countries
Symbols:
o “the thing around your neck”: choking feeling, anxiety, psychological isolation,
helplessness.
Narrator: second person narrator. The writer wants the reader to feel part of the story and
to truly understand what immigrants go through after living their country.