Outlines the requirements in assessing short fiction stories.
This paper shows that assessing short fiction consists of studying the characters, the scene, the conflict, the point of view, the diction, the description, the ideas, the plot and whether the story delivered the promise to the reader. The paper examines Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death and The Cask of Amontillado and Jennifer Jenkinson’s “Blues in the Night” and Roald Dahl’s Beware of the Dog.
Characters are carefully chosen in the short story and must be brought to life. In the short story of The Cask of Amontillado the writer probably carefully thought about what the character of Fortunato would be like. He needed to be conceited, wealthy, friends with the main character, a man to be feared yet respected. First, you may consider direct explanation; that is, the writer explains his own views of a character, the views of others about him, or the character’s views of himself” (Dickson and Smythe 37). Characters are the most vital part of any short story. In the story “Beware of the Dog” by Roald Dahl, the main character is has to be strong. His leg is shot off, but he continues to try to make it to safety. He believes that the enemy has him and all he answers his name and rank, because that is what the military has taught him. The story leaves the reader to guess whether the enemy has him or weather he is delusional. The main character never gives up and is determined to be strong even when questioned by the Wing Commander. A weak character that would faint or be weak would not make the story.”