THE SHORT STORY

DISCUSSION OF THE SHORT STORY

It is difficult to define a short story. A short story is short prose narrative, but its
length varies from one page in a popular magazine to a very long short story
almost a novelette. It has fewer characters then a novel, fewer actions and a much
shorter time span. For example: a novel may have twenty, thirty, or more
characters; it may have many complicated actions; and the time span may be over
months or years. The time span of a short story is usually a few hours or a day.

There are many predecessors of the modern short story, all of which have
contributed to the development of the short story. The folk tale is about real or
imaginary events. It may be tales of fairies, giants, or gnomes. The folk tales have
grown up and have developed by word of mouth. They have been retold through
the centuries, new events have been added, and sometimes several stories have
been combined in one long folk tale.

The Myth is a narrative that has had quite influence on the short story.
They might differ from the folk tale, because usually deals with the activities of
the gods and the origins of the things. Many of the myths try to explain the
reasons why we are living here on the earth, why there are trees, oceans,
mountains, deserts, etc.

The Parable is a short narrative, which aims to teach moral principles or

principle wisdom. It presents a universal truth, which is good for this life and the
life thereafter. It is concerned with teaching a moral lesson or a lesson of a good
conduct. For example: there are many Parables in Gulistan Sadi.

The Fable is similar to the parable. The fable emphasizes knowledge that
we need to have to act in the right way in this life. It is not concerned with the life
after death. The lesson in the fable is usually through the actions and voices of
animals. Most Fables are not concerned with human beings; the animals think,
speak, and act.

In the 17th century, the Character developed and has had quite an
influence on the development of the characters in the short story. The character is
a short descriptive sketch, not of an individual, but of a type, you might have a
short description of a student not a particular student, but a student that has
typical qualities of most students. Some of the titles of the character are most
interesting; “The Country Girl,” The Young Wife, “The Soldier”, “The Man of
Fashion”, “The Raw Young Man”, “The Man of Learning” and many others. One
must realize that these Characters the emphasis is not an individual, but on a
type.

The number of influences on the short story is almost impossible to

count. One must not think that the short story developed overnight – it had many
predecessors.

The variety of short stories is almost endless. A writer may want to

illustrate some idea about life and human nature he may want to make the chief
interest the unraveling of plot. As in Mystery story, he may want to present a
serious truth about life of character or destiny. He may like Poem, want o arouse
the reader’s emotion by the use of horror; he may want to write a humorous story,
an adventure story. However, whatever type of story he is trying to write, the
writer always gives the reader a central impression. The reader when he finishes
the story must have a major feeling about what the author was trying to do.

In trying to give this impression, the writer endeavors to arrange the

action of the story, so that all actions relate to this impression. These actions must
be woven together into a PLOT. There must be struggle or conflict as the basis of
the plot. In other words, there must be two sides which are opposite in feeling, in
action and in accomplishment. It is this conflict, which gives suspense to the
story. The turning point in the plot is called the CLIMAX, which is the highest
point of interest in the story.

The setting is seldom the main interest of the story, but in certain type of
story where the author is describing a certain locality, a place that plays an
important part in the story, the setting is a major importance.

When one read a short story, he/she has to think the central impression,
of the characters, of the plot, climax, setting. He/she must ask him/her self
questions as he/she reads and after has finished the story.
VOCABULARY:

Complicated- --------------- not simple

Time span -------------------- a period of time
Predecessors ----------------- things that have gone before, the previous one
Gnome ------------------------ a make-believe or unreal creature usually living in
the woods
Sketch ------------------------- a short piece of writing, usually descriptive
Unraveling -------------------- solving; discovering, finding out
Destiny ------------------------ fate, fortune
Central impression----------- the main idea or feeling that the reader gets from story
(For example: a feeling or tragedy or of comedy or of sadness).
Endeavor --------------------- try, attempt
Suspense---------------------- a tense or exciting feeling of uncertainly about an action or
event that soon happen.
 SOME PREDECESSORS OF THE MODERN SHORT STORY
MYTH, TALE, FABLE, AND PARABLES

In order to understand the development of the short story, it is necessary to

understand somewhat the differences between the Myth, Folk Tale, Fable, and
Parable, which were discussed in the preceding section. In this introductory unit,
we will study example of these predecessors of the short story. Each of these may
be considered a kind of short story itself and each contributed to the development
of the modern short story.

THE MYTH

Who made the world? How was the world made? Where did the first people
live? Why are we here? Why was I born? What will happen when I die? For
thousands of year people were tried to answer these questions. One way man
answers these is Myths or Stories that tell who made the world, how it was made,
where the first people came from, and so on. Myth are the earliest stories that
man ever told or made up. They answer universal questions that they try to
explain things, which man cannot really understand. For example: no man
actually saw how the world was made; yet different culture and civilization have
developed different Myth to explain how the world was made. But in Islamic
culture every thing is clear that how the world was made in few days which
Almighty Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Myths are the stories that try to answer the great and important questions about
the world and life.

We said different cultures and civilizations developed different Myths. In this

section we will a Greek and a Norwegian Myth. These two Myths give us two
different explanations of how the world was made. As you read these Myths you
will notice that many of the actions and events are unreal, or you may believe
impossible. You must understand that many actions in a Mythical story seem
ridiculous or untrue. Yet these actions may represent a basic human belief or a
basic human truth. A myth contains a special or particular kind of truth, because
it shows man’s deepest instincts needs, and belief. If some event in a myth seem
strange to you, you must try to see that before the world was made, there was
only a strong, black, dark wind blew everything away. One day a giant came and
tied the wind with strong ropes in order to stop it from blowing everything away.
This belief might seem ridiculous to you, but you must try to see that this wind
might represent Chaos or a world of confusion before a god created order from
this confusion. Perhaps this Myth shows us that man cannot live in chaos, that
man deep inside himself, feel a need for order and understanding.

A myth is a story made up or composed by man. A story that tries to explain or

answer the great questions those are deep inside us. Thus when we study a myth,
we do not learn scientific or objective facts or answer about the world. We learn
about men by studying the kind of questions that men ask about life and how men
try to answer these questions in a Myth.

VOCABULARY STUDY

Preceding --------------- the one just coming just before this one
Instinct ------------------ feeling deep inside man, that makes act certain ways
Giant --------------------- a very, very large person, often bad or evil

STUDY QUESTIONS

Answer each of the following questions:

1. Name four predecessors of the short story.
2. What kind of questions does a myth try to answer?
3. if the actions or events in a myth are sometimes ridiculous or untrue,
what is important about a myth? In other words, what can we learn about
from a myth?
4. What is chaos?
5. Do you know any myth? Describe some myths in your own culture.
 GREEK MYTHS

Greece and the Greeks

Before we look at the Greek Myth about the creation, let us look at the world
that the Greeks lived in. The country of Greece is a group of islands and a
peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. This world seems small to us today, but in
early times it was large and important to the Greeks. There were all rugged
mountains, green plants and the beautiful and dangerous sea. The Aegean Sea
and the Lonion Sea, which surrounded Greece. Because of that sea, only the
bravest man ever traveled away from their homes. The Greeks believed that the
world was flat like plate and that they lived in the center of it. In the middle of
Greece was a tall mountain, Mount Olympus, which was the home of the gods.
Around the earth, they believed, flowed the River Ocean. Because the Greeks
did not travel far from their homes, they believed that giants and cruel gods
lived in the distant land.

The following selection is a Greek Myth that answers the questions “ how was
the world made ?” This myth in other words, tells about the creation of the
world. As you read, notice that the Greek gods often have very human
characteristics; for example: they become angry and fight with each other, they
plot against each other. Clearly, men, who gave their own characteristics to the
gods, composed these stories. Perhaps the early Greeks told about the gods’
struggles for power in order to show us that peace and order did not come
easily, that the process of creating order was long and difficult.
 The Creation

In the beginning, there was neither light nor dark, places nor things, up to
down. There was nothing. This nothingness was called Chaos; it was simply the
lack of either things or order. Even in Chaos, however, lay the possibilities of
order, and these possibilities were like seeds form, which, in time, all things
grew.

The first thing to grow out of Chaos was night, spreading its wings of
darkness like a giant bird. Next to appear was Erebus, the bottomless place
where Death lives. Then night laid a silver egg, out of which hatched Eros, or
love. The beginning of love was also the beginning of light, life, and joy.

Mother earth, or Gaia, and father heaven, called Uranus, then came into
this universe of light and dark, and life and death. Rain fell from heaven and
lakes, oceans, and rivers were made, and green plants began to spring out off
the earth.

Uranus and Gaia had quite a large a number of children, their first three
were ugly monsters; each had fifty heads and a hundred hands. Uranus was so
disappointed with them that he immediately shut them up inside the earth. The
Cyclopes were the next three children of Gaia and Uranus. Each Cyclops had
one enormous, glassy eye in the middle of his forehead. Although they were
cleverer than the three monsters and were even skilled at making weapons from
metal, Uranus shut them away, too. He thought they were ugly and perhaps
even dangerous.

The Titans, six sons and six daughters, were the last of Uranus and Gaia’s
children. Compared with their ferocious older brothers, they were rather good-
looking and well behaved.

Because Gaia was upset about the fate of the monsters and the Cyclopes,
and feared the same treatment for the Titans, she called them together. Gaia
warned them that the same thing might happen to them if they didn’t do
something about Uranus first.

But, big and strong as they were the Titans were afraid of their father.
Each one said he could not possibly think of any thing to do and each suggested
that one of the other Titans find a solution. Finally, Coronus, the youngest
Titans, came up with a secret plan. Although it was no a very clever plan, it
took his father by surprise. Uranus was so used to running things his own way
that he simply did not expect; any opposition.

This is what happened: Coronus got a sharp sickle from his mother and
attacked Uranus with it, badly wounding him. Uranus was in too much pain to
fight back, so all he could do was flee. But as he fled upwards, as high as he
could go, he shouted down to Coronus, “You’ll get the same treatment from one
of your children someday. Beware”.

And since the exile of Uranus, the sky has never come near the earth.
Some of the blood of Uranus fell to the earth, though, and turned in to the
Giants and the Erinyes, or Furies. These terrible creatures had live snakes for
hair, and they chased wrong-doers about until they were punished.

If Gaia expected sympathy and co-operation from Coronus, she was

greatly disappointed instead of freeing his older brothers, Cronus quickly took
his father’s place as ruler of the world and made his Titan brothers his generals.
To Oceanus, he gave the rule of the river-ocean that circled the world. He gave
control of all in the world to his brother Hyperion the children of Hyperion. The
sun, the moon, and dawn, rode across the sky in their chariots once each day.

Although Gaia was angry at her high-handed son Coronus, she had no say
in the matter for the time being. And the Titans became known as the Elder
Gods.

Vocabulary notes for: The Creation Myth

Hatched – when baby birds come out or break out of an egg.

Monster – a horrible and unnatural creature that is often very large and bad.
Enormous – very, very big or large.
Ferocious – very fierce, wild, or savage.
Sickle – like a large knife with a curved blade, used to cut grain.
Flee – to run away
Beware – watch out; take care
Exile – when one leaves or is forced to leave his country or homeland
High-handed – very arrogant or proud
Vocabulary Exercise

Use each of the following words in a sentence. Do not copy a sentence from a
book. Make up your own.

1. Monster
2. Enormous
3. Ferocious
4. Flee
5. Exile

Study questions

These questions will help you to understand the real meaning of this myth.
Answer each question and THINK.

1. What is this myth about? Is it a family quarrel or fight? Or about the

beginning of the world? Is it about both?
2. How did Uranus feel about his first six children? What did he do to
them?
3. How did Gaia react to Uranus’ treatment of their children? In other words
what did she think about Uranus’ actions?
4. How does Gaia reactions influence later events? How do her feelings
affect what happens later in the story.
5. In the beginning of this myth there is Chaos. Give some specific
examples of this chaos.
6. At the end of this myth there is order, Describe this order.
7. Compare the world of chaos at the beginning with the world of order at
the end. What changes have taken place in the world to make it more
ordered? (for example; at the beginning there was neither light nor dark;
but at the end there was both light and dark. The Titans Hyperion was to
control all light and his children were the sun, the moon, and the dawn.
You see that at the end was now a very ordered world of light and
darkness.) Name other changes from chaos to order.
8. Is there any thing that hints at, or tells about the coming downfall of
Coronus? Why do you think that authors sometimes hint in advance of
terrible events that are yet to come or will come in the future?
9. This new order was not perfect. As Uranus fled, his drops of blood fell to
the earth and turned into the Erinyes or Furies. Define the word; “Fury”.
Describe the Furies and tell what they do.
10. What do you think that the furies are an attempt to explain? ( remember
that a myth tries to explain certain questions about life.)

In other words, why does the author of this myth tell us about them?

To help you answer this question, think about what the furies do.
 Norse Myth

Norway and the Norwegians

Norway is a country in northern Europe that is surrounded on three sides by

water. Since Norway is so far north, its winters are long and very, very cold.
During the summer, the sun stays in the sky far in to the night and in northern
Norway, the sun does not set at all; however, during the winter the sun comes
up very late and stays up only for a short time. In northern Norway, the sun
does not come up at all so the land remains dark and cold, covered with snow
and ice. This world is cold and dark most of the year; bitter winds blow across
the plains. Men had to fight the harsh and rough climate, and in order to
survive; they often had to fight each other for food or for a little warmth. These
cruel natural forces are also seen in the lives of their gods. Of course, the
Norsemen, just as the Greeks did, wondered about the beginning of the world.
They too invented a myth or story to explain the creation. Yet Norse mythology
is different in many ways from Greek mythology. The Norsemen thought that
the universe or world was a flat plain surrounded my mist and darkness. Below
was the infernal region of Niflheim, a world of mist, cold, and ice. (Notice how
the elements of darkness, coldness and ice appear in Norse myths.) The Norse
gods lived in the palace of Asgard. They were great warriors who fought
continually in a way, which again reflects the climate and conditions of the
northland.

In the beginning, the Greeks said; there was Chaos, and out of this Chaos came
darkness, light, love, and life. But the Norsemen, surrounded by lonely
mountains and bitter cold, had a different belief. They said that in the beginning
there were cold and warmth with a gap or space between them. Out of the
meeting of these two elemental forces the world was created. As you read the
Norse creation myths, ask yourself why these people imagined such a creation.
Also compare this Norse myth with the Greek creation myth that you read
previously.
 THE CREATION

Ages ago, the Norsemen said, there was a time when heaven, earth, and
sea did not exist. In all the universe there was nothing but a region of boiling
flame into this gap, and the red heat of the fires from the other side beat fiercely
upon them. Steam arose, and the whole space was filled with swirling mist.

At last these clouds took shape, and out of them Yamer, the first frost
giant, was born. Next, the shifting particles formed a great cow, by whose milk
Yamer was nourished. He grew greatly in vigor, and his vague outline became
clear and firm. In this way the frost giant was given life, and in time sons and
daughters were born to him out of the mist.

In the meantime, the cow who had nurtured the frost giant found no
nourishment herself. Eventually she began to lick at ice blocks, which were
pushed out of the region of cold. As the ice melted under her rough tongue, it
shaped itself into the outline of a huge head. The cow licked further, and
features became clear. She licked again, and blue eyes opened. At last this other
huge creature was formed, and he rose up and looked at the misty gap in which
the large shapes of the frost giants could be vaguely seen.

This being was Bore, who as ancestor of the gods, and great power was in
him. The moment he saw the frost giants, he knew they were evil and decided
to destroy them. He cried aloud upon his son and his grandsons who were yet
unborn, until the whole gap thundered and rolled with the echoes of his mighty
voice. Out of his warm breath and the power of his magic, his descendants were
born. Then the gods lifted up their arms and rushed against the frost giants. The
mists of the gap swirled in confusion as the two races battled in their midst.

Bure was killed in the great struggle, but the gods destroyed Yamer at last
and defeated their enemies. The remaining frost giants fled into the outer
regions of the great gap, where they made themselves a land of mountains and
mist to live in.

As the thunder of battle died away. Bure’s grandson, all father Odin.
Looked down on Yamer’s large body, which lay acroos the center of the gap.
“The frost giant was made out of mist,” said he, “and his form is still fluid. Let
us shape it into a new world for us all to live.”
 The other gods gladly agreed. “Yamer’s shall be earth.” They said and
they formed it into land, round and flat like a wheel. In the center they piled
mountains, for there they planned to build Asgard, which was to be their home
and strong citadel. Next they took Yamer’s misty head for the great arch of
heaven. They changed his blood into blue ocean water, which they poured
around the outer edge of the earth as a barrier between themselves and Giant
land. They stole sparks from the fiery regions to light the stars, and built
chariots in which they set sun and moon spirits to ride over the earth.

In this way the world was created, but though Yamer was dead, his body
was divine, and life of a kind was still in it. Grass began to grow on the earth.
Forests and animals appeared. “We must make rulers for these things.” Said
Odin at last. “Let us shape beings like ourselves who shall watch over the earth.

Under the ground and on the earth’s surface. Small creeping things had
come to life. The gods made these like themselves, and in this way the light
elves and dark dwarfs were born. Neither race pleased the gods entirely. The
dwarfs were wonderful craftsmen, but their nature was evil, and they fled into
the caverns of the earth to live in darkness out of sight of the gods. The elves
blessed the animals and crops, but they built their own home of Efland up in the
air.
“Those races are not truly our creation,” said Odin. “They had life of
themselves, and we only gave them shape. Let us make a new master on the
earth.” This time the gods took trees from the forest, breathed life into them,
and formed them into Woman and Man.

Men and woman looked to the gods for protection, but the power of the
gods was limited. Many things appeared in the world, which were not created
by the gods and opposed them. Beyond earth there still lived the frost giants.
Hel, the monstrous daughter of the god and a giantess, built a kingdom of
darkness under the earth, where she ruled over the spirits of the dead. The great
world serpent encircled the earth at the bottom of the sea. Dark wolves chased
the chariots of the terrified sun and moon. Far above the earth, demons were
born in the regions of boiling fire. All these great forces of evil threatened the
world; and none knew whether they or the gods would have final control of the
world.
Vocabulary Notes for: The Creation Myth.

Shifting – moving back and forth.

Particles – small pieces of a thing: here the small pieces of matter or pieces of
the clouds that grew together to form the great cow.

Nourished – fed, to receive food.

Vigor – gave food to

Nurtured – not clearly

Ancestor – a forefather, relative from a long time back.

Descendants – one’s children

Fluid – not solid, but able to move freely like liquid.

Citadel – a strong palace, castle, or fort.

Arch – a curved structure

Barrier – a protective wall or other obstacle to stop a enemy.

Chariots – a wheeled vehicle pulled by an animal, usually a horse; before cars,

men used to ride in chariots.

Divine – godlike, heavenly

Prosper – to succeed, to grow well

Creeping – to move along slowly with the body close the ground; before A
baby learns to walk, creeps.

Elf (elves) – a mythological creature, often small.

Dwarf – a mythological creature, often short and heavy or fat; are thought to be
more evil than elves.
Race – a family, tribe, people, or nation having the same ancestors.

Craftsmen – men who can work with their hands well and make things.

Caverns – dark holes in the earth, caves.

Serpent – snake.

Demons – devils, evil creatures.

Threaten – something that might do evil or injury to others is said to threaten,

like a promise of harm or evil.

You should learn the meaning of each of the following words, chosen from the
vocabulary list above.

Particle Barrier Craftsman

Vigor Divine Caverns
Vague Prosper Serpent
Ancestor Creep Demon
Fluid Race Threaten

Study Questions

Answer each of the following questions, using a complete sentence or

sentences:

1. In the beginning, the Greeks said there was chaos. Is there chaos in the
beginning of the Norse creation myth? Describe this chaos. (for example,
the Greeks described chaos as “neither light nor dark, places nor things,
up nor down.” How does the Norse myth describes it?)

2. What was the first thing to come out of chaos in the Greek creation
myth? The second thing? The third thing?
3. What was the first thing to come out in the Norse creation myth? The
second thing? The third thing?

4. Do you think that frost giants represent good or evil?

5. Who was Bure? Do you think that Bure represents good or evil?

6. Is there chaos or order at the end of the Norse creation myth? (Which
one?)

7. We saw that in the Greek creation myth the moved from chaos to order.
Does the Norse creation myth also show a movement from chaos to
order?

8. Compare the world of chaos at the beginning of the Norse myth with the
world of order at the end. What changes have taken place to make it more
ordered? List these changes.

9. In the Greek creation myth there was a flight or struggle among the gods
(Coronus defeated his father Uranus) is there also a fight or struggle in
the Norse creation myth? Who is fighting?

10. Why do you think that both the Greek creation myth and the Norse
creation myth tell about a fight or struggle? In other words, what does
this struggle mean or represent? What does is show or teach us?
 THE FOLKTALE

The Folktale is a very enjoyable type of folk narrative. In some ways, the
folktale is less grand than the myth because it does not try to answer the
great and important questions about the universe and about life. The folktale
or wonder tale is about the humble situation in life. It may tell about a poor
man and who become rich, about a stupid man who defeats a smart man,
about kind man who receives magical help in a difficult situation. It may be
about a Frog Princess or a Talking Duck or a good fairy. You see that large
question like “ how was the world made.?” Are not part of a folktale.

Yet a folktale is more than just an entertaining story. The folktale can be
seen an expression of universal characteristics of human nature; that is, the
folktale can show us certain characteristics common to all men. In the
folktale, we can see such things as greed, hatred. Love, cruelty, kindness,
hope, courage, beauty, and ugliness. Such characteristics teach us about
men, about what kind of men live in the world, and how such men act, in the
folktale.

A FOLKTALE: THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS

We said that a folktale shows us universal hum characteristics, and