The nature of the short story

Like all fiction the short story is a narrative of certain interrelated events (psychic and physical) which involves a significant conflict and resolution and leads us to ponder its comment on human feelings, conduct and beliefs. But it is a short story, and the fact of its length has produced in it a set of traditions and conventions that give us certain distinguishing characteristics.

The first significant result of its length is its compression. It must make every stroke, every touch count. It must be started fast: introduce, orient and get the conflict going all at once. It must be dense in detail, thick in texture, and complex in interrelationships. Its ending must carry a great weight of meaning and implication, must “avoid the sense of a bump’ (Sean O’Faoline), yet order a final vision of past, present and future.

Its compression leads to a strong symbolism. Novels, of course, are symbolic, too, but not so tightly, pervasively, demandingly, not always with so central, so well defined, so all encompassing a pattern. In this it joins the complex, multileveled use of details of the poem with the basic narrative approach of the novel.

Its compression leads to a typical emphasis on one central action, within a limited span of time, “The single incident”, as Henry James called it.

There is, of course, a good deal of variation in the degree to which this emphasis on the single incident is employed in a short story. In some cases, through the use of flashback or narrative summary, the writer includes other events besides and before the central and climatic action. In some cases there may well be a sequence of several equal events – in others – and this is the most important direction the modern short story has taken – there’s the exclusion of any central climatic action at all. Rather, the story focuses on the internal events – in the emotions and thoughts, the spirit – of the character, and intentionally avoiding an emphasis on plot, produces a sudden moment of illumination into the true inner condition of the life of the character as he takes part in or responds to an event or action that is not climatic or significant in itself at all.

And, finally, the short story is distinguished by what Edgar Allan Poe called its unity of effect. However, whereas Poe theorized about a unified emotional effect, modern practitioners of the story have aimed for understanding as well as sensation, have attempted to unify emotional and intellectual or thematic effect.

Conflict and resolution

It would be rather difficult to write a story about a man who wanted nothing, felt no desires, stresses, anxieties or tensions, who was perfectly in equilibrium that he was merely content to just sit there, just as he was and always would be. For the essence of story telling is some jarring, even staggering of the state of equilibrium. Without tension, which is thus a kind of suspense – there is no movement: and without movement, whether external or internal, there is no story. The tension of a conflict is what makes a story move.

Any conflict must have at least two sides, two forces or poles, there must be a desire and something that counters that desire.

The other end of the line is the final resolution of the conflict. A resolution is not necessarily a solution. It is a coming to rest of tensions – at least for the moment. It is a fuller, more complete sense of order that includes – even thought it nay not solve – the tension released in the story. And in stories where the consciousness of the human being about the nature of himself and his life is at stake, the resolution is, finally and most fully, a matter of greater awareness.

Equally important is the increase in the awareness of the reader. Sometimes it’s the reader’s consciousness that experiences the full meaning of the resolution, not the character’s. At the extreme of this type of story is the ironic treatment of a character who believes he’s right, has grown, does understand enough, but whose limitations and errors are made quite apparent to the reader by the construction of the story.

Lesson 2. Home Reading. Somerset Maugham. The Ant and the Grasshopper.

You will learn to analyse the situation a short story is based on and to find details that show the author’s attitude to the behaviour of his characters.

1. Pronounce the words and find the write synonym or explanation clarifying the meaning of each.

laborious hilarious ‘infamous unscrupulous industrious dissolute admirable

not choosy about the means hard-working cheerful excellent immoral, evil shameful requiring of showing great effort

2. Find a proper equivalent for each phrase and then supply a proper translation in the middle.

To bring something home to somebody To make a steady income from somebody To wash one’s hands off somebody To take the matter into court To make a point of doing something To bring oneself to do something To be a sore trial to somebody

To prosecute somebody, to sue smb. To convince somebody of something. To make oneself do something. To keep borrowing money from somebody. To be a burden to somebody. To make something a matter of principle

3. Rhythm.

The moral of the fable The plot of the story Industry is rewarded Giddiness is punished I sympathised with him Prepared for the worst His life was blameless

Comfortably provided for Sitting on a blade of grass Spend a laborious summer Disapproval of prudence and common sense Wearing an expression of deep gloom It cost him an infinite deal of trouble

4. What happens in the fable of La Fontaine? Whom does the author of the fable side with? What does he try to show?

5. Sum up the story of the two brothers. The following sentences may be used as guiding points.

¨ Том Рэмзи вначале жил вполне добропорядочно, но затем объявил, что непригоден для семейной жизни. Никакие увещевания на него не действовали.

¨ Слухи о его похождениях шокировали всех родственников.

¨ Он был обаятельным и беспринципным.

¨ Его брат Джордж был серьезным и респектабельным человеком.

¨ Он давал Тому значительные суммы, чтобы тот начал новую жизнь.

¨ Джордж понял, что его брат никогда не угомонится, и умыл руки. Тогда Том стал его шантажировать.

¨ Джордж ожидал, что Том окончит свои дни в сточной канаве.

¨ Но Том обручился с богатой женщиной, которая ему в матери годилась. Она умерла и оставила ему всё состояние.

6. Compare the behaviour of the two brothers. Who do you sympathize with?

7. Is the end of the story unexpected, disappointing, funny, sad, ironic, immoral? What is the surprising element of the story? What is Maugham’s attitude to George:

¨ As a man crushed by the hardships of life?

¨ As a man bitterly disappointed in life because virtue is not rewarded?

¨ As a man who is afraid of ruining his stainless reputation?

¨ As a man who prides himself on being charitable?

8. What is Maugham’s attitude to Tom:

¨ As a worthless and dishonourable rogue?

¨ As a charming and amusing companion to whom it is impossible to refuse a loan?

¨ As a wise, but cynical man?

¨ As a wild and thoughtless adventurer?

¨ As a person who despised philistinism and philistines?

9. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) wrote many short stories. Some of them are little more than anecdotes. Even in his best work, he doesn’t lay his heart bare. He says that he admires goodness, but he is not outraged by wickedness. He tries to preach no moral. He is an impartial observer. That, at least, is the impression he desires to produce. Maugham laughs at many social vices, but at the same time he is ready to reconcile himself to certain imperfections of human nature.

What is Maugham willing to forgive and what are the things he can’t forgive?

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LESSON BASED ON “THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER”

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words:

Giddiness, admirable, apologise, laborious, perversity, inconsequence, deficient, restaurant, hilarious, unscrupulous, luxuries, qualm, gaol, vindictive, infamous, rogue, yacht, damn, wrathful, sovereign.

2. Replace the italicized parts of the sentences by words and phrases from the text:

1) The story made us realize how much injustice there was in this imperfect world. 2) He spent the summer working hard so as to be well provided for the winter. 3) The fable is intended to make the reader appreciate hard work and disapprove of light-mindedness. 4) The boy, however, didn’t think it was fair to treat the grasshopper unkindly (didn’t agree with the moral of the fable). 5) Consequently, whenever he saw an ant he would invariably put his foot on it. 6) This prompt reaction shouldn’t be accounted for by any abnormality in the boy. 7) The man lunching alone in a restaurant looked extremely gloomy. 8) In most families there is someone who his relatives are ashamed of. 9) One can’t very well let one’s own brother go to prison. 10) The man whom Tom had swindled was revengeful; he was bent on bringing an action against George’s brother. 11) Tom flirted with the prettiest girls and was always smart and elegant. 12) He was good for nothing, but you couldn’t help enjoying his company.

3. Find in the text English equivalents for the following and use them in sentences of your own:

Меня заставляли

Довести до сознания

Усердие

Восхитительный

Запас на зиму

Травинка

Быть вполне обеспеченным

Пустая кладовая

Приписывать ч-л

С моей стороны

Примириться с ч-л

Мои симпатии были на стороне

Предусмотрительность

Здравый смысл

На днях

В одиночестве

Мрачность

Причинять неприятности

Паршивая овца

Уважаемый

Были все основания полагать

Без предупреждения

Подходить для ч-л

Веселиться

Глубоко потрясен

Неразборчивый в средствах

Отказать в займе

Регулярный доход

Легко сходиться с людьми

Предметы первой необходимости

Остепениться

Умыть руки

Судить

Осудить

Уладить дело

Получить деньги по чеку

Играть в азартные игры

Волочиться за девушками

Кончить жизнь под забором

Поставить себе за правило

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