Short story study guide - Gloucester County Institute of ...



Short story study guide

I. Stories:

• “Harrison Bergeron,” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural Significance

• “The Sound of Thunder,” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural significance

• “A Marriage is a Private Affair” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/ Cultural significance

• “No Witchcraft for Sale”, by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural significance

• “One Thousand Dollars” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural significance

• “The Pedestrian” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural significance

• “Initiation” by

o Plot:

o Characters

o Theme

o Historical/Cultural significance

II. Literary Terms Test – Be able to identify Terms in Context to the Stories

• External Conflict

• Internal Conflict

• Climax

• Setting

• Direct Characterization

• Indirect Characterization

• Flat Character

• Round Character

• Static Character

• Dynamic Character

• Theme

• Protagonist

• Antagonist

• Foreshadowing

• Irony

• Verbal Irony

• Situational Irony

• Dramatic Irony

• Exposition

• Resolution

• First Person

• Third Person

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

III. Compare and contrast

• Be able to compare and contrast stories

o What stories have similar themes?

o What stories have similar cultural and historical significance?

o What makes the stories different?

o What might the authors have written the story (what is the purpose)? Is this similar or different? How?

o Be able to provide specific examples from both stories to compare and contrast (this event is similar to this event because both authors want the reader to consider…?)

Overall questions:

• What elements can you identify in common with the short stories we have read so far?

• What separates one story from another? How can you recognize one story from another?

• Do short stories seem more culturally and/or historically invested than other genres?

• The short story often is characterized as simply a shorter version of the novel genre. What do you think about that? What resemblance, likeness does it bear to other genres?

• Do the short stories we have read so far seem at all in dialogue with one another?

• Do the topic details and historical references limit the scope and/or reach of the stories we have read, particularly over the last three weeks?

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