English (THE HISTORY OF THE SHORT STORY)

Match the description to the term or example. 1. Italian stories 2. Chaucer 3. First "actual" short stories 4. Old Testament stories 5. New Testament stories

1. Decameron 2. Canterbury Tales 3. 19th century 4. Jonah and Ruth 5. Parables

Review

The classic definition of short story is a story that can be realistically finished by most readers in one sitting. You have learned that the genre of the short story includes three very definite characteristics: the short story is carefully created, it is compact, and it is unified. Without these characteristics, it could not be called a short story.

short story

a fictional prose narrative of less than 20,000 words

The classic definition of a short story is _____.

a fictional prose piece that can be easily read in one sitting

The modern definition of a short story is _____.

a fictional prose piece that is under 20,000 words

novelette

a short novel

compact

brief and to the point

Select the general characteristics of a short story.

carefully created compact unified

Edgar Allen Poe is generally credited with writing the first collection of short stories.

false

unified

focused on one thing

genre

kind, sort, or style

prose

ordinary language

A short story typically has a less developed plot than a novel.

true

Herman Melville was an early American short story writer.

true

James Joyce made an innovative contribution to the short story by focusing on the inner lives of his characters.

true