Literature: The American Short Story

The post-war period saw a major change in the significance of the short story in the USA and Canada. Whereas previously the short story had been the form for more sensational or dramatic pieces (for example crime or ghost stories) the decades after the second world war see a shift to more serious explorations of character and psychology, beginning with Ernest Hemingway and then later Raymond Carver, John Updike and Mavis Gallant.

Each week we will look closely at two stories, one by each of the following authors:

Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver

John Updike and Mavis Gallant

Elizabeth Strout and Brandon Taylor

Christmas stories by Langston Hughes and Grace Paley

Christmas stories by Shirley Jackson and Truman Capote

Looking at these stories, we will ask question, including (among others): how does the writer use narration to explore memory and character? What does the writer describe in detail, and what do they leave out (and why)? How does the writer use imagery, in particular figurative language such as simile and metaphor?

Handouts of each of the stories will be provided in advance of each class.