Meaning in Short Stories free essay sample

A discussion of several short stories to demonstrate how the authors developed meaning through the development of character, theme, plot and setting. Five short stories are discussed: The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, AP by John Updike, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, Barn Burning by William Faulkner, and The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence. Each story is used to demonstrate the use of either character, theme, plot or setting in the development of meaning. PLOT THE STORY OF AN HOUR The plot in this story revolves around the death of the husband, which of course makes the story possible, but at the heart of it is the woman and her feeling of freedom that she feels when she finds out her husband is dead. She feels free, and even in this very short story, Chopin makes us understand why with a few simple lines, And yet she had loved himsometimes. We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning in Short Stories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Often she had not. That is really the plot briefly the woman wanted more. We learn the two characters names in the story, but they, and the other minor characters do not matter, this is truly a short story with one theme, freedom, and is totally plot driven.

Folklore The Fallen Angel Cake

Folklore The Fallen Angel Cake The Fallen angel cake is an urban legend, which was published in a Sydney newspaper during the year 1980. In the year 1982, the story was published in a Canadian newspaper. The legend described a woman who baked a cake, which was to be sold in her local church.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Folklore: â€Å"The Fallen Angel Cake† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During the baking process, the cake accidentally broke into two pieces. With limited time to bake the second cake, the woman moulded a roll of tissue paper, which she used to stick together the broken cake. Afterwards, she rushed to her local church to sell the cake. With the aim of selling and buying back the cake, the woman gave her daughter money, and instructed her to buy back the cake. Unfortunately, the cake was sold to another buyer in the absence of her daughter. The following day, at a club, the woman identified the buyer of her cake preparin g to serve it. Before the woman could notify the buyer about the blemish in the cake, the buyer acknowledged before a crowd that she had baked the beautiful cake. As a result, the woman withheld her notification. One of the themes portrayed in the legend is about making swift choices. Throughout the legend, the woman was forced by the situations to make swift decisions. For instance, the woman made a dramatic choice, when she realized that her cake had been broken in the oven, by joining the broken cake using tissue paper moulds. Similarly, when the woman hurried to the church and instructed her daughter to buy back the cake, she illustrated the theme of making swift choices. In addition, this theme was emphasised through the woman’s willingness to inform the host on the cake’s faults before it was served. Another theme embodied in the legend is the theme of pride. Out of her pride, the buyer lied before a crowd that she had prepared the beautiful cake. As a result, he r pride prevented the woman from informing her about the faults in the cake. As such, the legend tackled some of the key issues addressed in class such as themes embodied in the legends, and their roles in enforcing social norms. Through this legend, the students should be able to identify the main themes in the book, and in turn learn from them.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Like the other legends, the fallen angel cake legend is considered fictional. Though the original society of this legend can be traced, its creator cannot be identified. Likewise, the other legends illustrated in the book have no clear authors and creators. Similar to other legends illustrated in the book, the legend is interesting and easy to narrate. For instance, each of these legends is less than 600 words long. This implies that these urban legends are not only easy to read and compre hend, but also interesting to their readers. In the same way as other legends, the legend contains humour and sarcasms enhancing its readability among its readers. Equally, these legends were meant to educate their readers on various social issues and in turn reinforce social reforms. However, unlike most other legends contained in the book, the fallen angel cake legend’s plot based its foundation on a true story. The publishers of this legend have asserted that the legend was very popular among its creator’s society.