Short story essay
The assumption is often made that short stories are weak and lack expression, simply because of their physical size limitations. However, if one were to sit down and read just a few of New Zealand's finest short stories, attitudes would almost certainly change for the better. Maurice Gee for instance, A fine novelist and artistic hero for some, holds many admirable short stories to his name. Gee's famous story 'A Glorious Morning, Comrade' proves to us the inherent potential to which New Zealand writers can live up to in a short story. The main purpose of a short story is to enable the reader to picture in their mind the images which the writer 'paints'. Consequently, more demands are made on the reader. Since words are strictly limited, characters must be created very quickly. It is for this reason that writers use a 'plunge' technique. The reader is plunged into the plot by being forced to start in the middle of the action. For instance: 'A Glorious m
In brief, the reader is forced to think with an open mind, which is demanding, especially when an in-depth approach is required for the understanding of the plot. Depending on the writer's aim, demand on the reader will vary significantly, and with careful practices at hand, a firm grasp will be achieved. orning, comrade', by Maurice Gee, and 'The hole that Jack dug', by Frank Sargeson. Much less detail is provided to us about the characters, so again we imagine the aspects which are not given to us. Take for example the second paragraph in Frank Sargeson's 'The hole that Jack dug'. The narrator takes less than one paragraph to describe Jack. However, using special wording, the narrator can describe him in much detail using little words to emphasize a few of Jack's unique physical aspects: "The trouble with Jack's grin is that it shows too many teeth." Once Characters are established, a plot or structure will begin to form. Sometimes it
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Approximate Word count = 658
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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