Landscapes of Short Stories
for Grade 10
Second Additional Language
Compiled by Blanche Scheffler
Grade 12
Introduction
The short story is a unique literary genre in that it may catch only a moment or span an enormous amount of time; it may just outline events or suggest more than meets the eye; it may introduce you to new worlds or re-acquaint you with the familiar. It may poke fun at, comment on, criticise, empathise with, remain neutral, merely report, or bring into sharp focus. The short story form is supple and may be adapted to shape and enrich our awareness of the human landscape, of good and ill, of justice and injustice, of prejudice and tolerance, of love, jealousy and hatred, of our potential and limitations – in short, our world.
A story is told to entertain, but also expresses a view of life within a particular context, which may be personal or social. Very often a story raises questions, challenging the reader to consider a serious issue. Sometimes a writer suggests answers, but the reader is left to draw his or her own conclusions and will respond accordingly. Reading superficially, one follows the story line and is aware of the role different characters play; a more intensive reading may ‘open up’ new perspectives about familiar situations and issues. Whatever the reader’s approach, the story will entertain and enlighten.
If our norm is that the story must come to life, it will in some way reflect the human landscape – what makes us ‘tick’ within the context of our times and circumstances. To present a wide range of reading experiences, we have chosen stories with literary merit and that vary in:
• their structure (the plot and the role different characters play in the story) the setting (the physical context within which the incident or events take place)
• the writer’s technique (the narrative mode, tone of the narrator, language elements)
• the focus (the action, characterisation, description, issues)
• their underlying themes (their personal, social and/or universal relevance)
The way in which a writer creates this landscape determines whether it is a fleeting entertainment or a memorable reading experience. ‘Macphail’s sweep ticket’ and ‘The model millionaire’ belong to the first category. The other stories are wide-ranging both in content and style.
The stories in the anthology are organised according to theme to enable the reader to enjoy the different ways in which writers treat the same theme. For this reason the folk tales and myths are not presented as a genre group, but are spread across different theme sections. For example, ‘Mosquitoes in Australia’ rightly belongs to the Humour theme, but ‘The ring of the king’ finds its place in the Crime section. In the Humour section, the stories represent different kinds of humour, from an amusing surprise ending (‘Macphail’s sweep ticket’), to a tall tale. As is the case with the stories in the other theme sections, the last section, Politics and Peace, offers different tales and perspectives on the theme.
Plot
Simply stated, the plot is the framework of events: what happens, the sequence of the events, who are involved, how things happen, and where and why these things happen. Taken together, the storyline has a recognisable beginning, middle and end. Its structure may include an introduction (usually brief, with information to place what happens in a particular setting and/or introducing a character). The development follows, as the story unfolds and characters interact with one another, and deal with situations and conflicts. The latter may reach a peak, the climax of the story, resolving what has gone before in the conclusion/ending, or the reader may be left with unresolved questions about a final outcome. The following provides some idea of possible plot variations you will come across in this anthology. A plot:
•consisting of only a sequence of events leading up to a climax or an anti-climax (‘Macphail’s sweep ticket’).
•that is more complex, built up of several kinds of elements (‘Blemish’) focusing only on a relationship (‘Hearts which are alike’ and ‘Black star’) with a somewhat expected resolution or a surprise ending (‘The model millionaire’).
Other factors to consider about the plot are:
•whether it develops through a change taking place in a character’s attitude or actions; or
•a build-up of tension; or
•one’s curiosity about a character; or
•raises more questions than answers.
Also consider whether the plot structure implies a moral or focuses on personal or social value systems. Is the story about real-life experiences or a fantasy world?
As the characters and the setting form an integral part of the plot, let us consider each briefly.
Character
By showing what a character says, does and thinks, a writer creates a personality, a person who will fit into the story, most often with an important role in it. What a character is like contributes to the plot, how the story unfolds. This point applies also to the character’s interpretation of a situation, attitude towards it and other characters, and his or her background and value system. The writer may also show us what other characters think, say or feel about him or her, thus adding to our understanding of the story.
Different characters may contribute to the development of the plot while different types of character may at the same time represent different attitudes and values through their words and actions. Characters vary: they may be crooks, snobs, submissive and meek, confident, very timid, strong, violent, bullies, love-sick, dishonest, fearful, terrified, careless, brave, cowardly, silly or even stupid. All will reveal some human characteristic such as wanting to be loved, comforted, respected, rich or safe. The reader will identify with some, but not with others, depending on how well the story is told and how the writer tells it.
The writer places characters in a particular environment and relationship, to tell a story about them and their role in the narrative. In some cases characters might be one-dimensional, what we call flat, caricatures of personality traits or representing attitudes that the writer wants to satirise, criticise or simply laugh at. Rounded characters, on the other hand, are portrayed as having more than one facet of personality and are more complex, though the emphasis might be on a particular outstanding characteristic, which may be a weakness or strength, depending on the writer’s purpose. A writer may use incidental characters to carry a story forward, but without revealing personal characteristics, for example, one of Jimmy’s workmates in ‘Macphail’s sweep ticket’. There are humorous characters that make us laugh by what they say and do, while tragic characters bring about their own downfall through a character flaw.
Whether a character is a main character such as the hero or heroine of a story or a lesser character, all have an integral part in the framework of the story – the writer will have been highly selective in his or her choice of characters because there is little scope for random characterisation and long-windedness in the short story.
Whether a writer uses a first-person narrative or a third-person narrative influences our understanding of character and relates to the writer’s intention. Either narrative mode will establish character. The first-person narrative reveals a more intimate picture of character: his
