Short Story

Abduction is a short story by Shelagh Delaney, it is a story about misunderstanding the concept of love. However it is also a story about, misunderstanding or not looking for the needs of the ones we love. Abduction is the title, and it refers to the way, that Ann abducts her sixteen year old younger brother from their parents, and brings him to london. Ann is a woman who always new, what she wanted: “She couldn’t get out of Manchester quick enough. Although she’d been born and brought up there it had never been good enough. There was only one place worth living.

London. ” (p. 1, ll. 24) Ann moved and never looked back, except from the one time, where she came to take her younger brother to live with her in London. There can be many reasons why Ann felt the need to take him away from his home, but all in all she has a very strong need to look after someone, and control their life. Considering the fact, that she is working at a children’s hospital, may give the impression, that she would want to have kids on her own, but that is not the case. Already when she was a young woman, she was sterilized.

It is a bit of a mystery, because while she loved kids, she did not want any of her own. For her it was more easy to become a mother to her younger brother. Therefore she spoiled him with money, and never gave him have a life of his own. When he gets a girlfriend, who also become pregnant, Ann tells them to get an abortion, and they do what she says. Ann’s younger brother’s girlfriend points out to him, that there is something wrong between the two siblings: “She’s more like a possessive mother than a sister,” She told him. “Are you sure you’re not really her baby? ” (pp, 4. ll, 81).

This is said because Ann’s behavior is more appropriate for a mother than a sister, because as his sister, she should not take the mothers part in the upbringing. As mentioned before Ann spoils her brother with money. She gives him, what she believes he wants, and he is too week to tell her, that what she is doing is wrong. When he graduates from college, (where he had studied media, which he actually despised, but did for his sister sake), Ann provide him with a job, which of course leads to Ann giving him a lot of new and expensive close, he never wanted. After that day, he immediately changed to his belongings from his birth house.

Ann’s brother married Marianne, the girl who got an abortion, she gets pregnant again, and this time, they keep the child. After Marianne has given birth to their child, Ann transfers her own sense to the child, and spoils it with money, even though the parents tell her to stop. After some years Ann’s brother start to drink, and become an alcoholic. Marianne tries to help him, but she decides to divorce him. He moves back to Ann, and they are back were they were before the marriage. This is very satisfying for Ann, because now she can control her brother, the way she like.

Again she can spoil him with money, and give him the things, she think he wants. He says that he does not want her to spend the money, but she answer him back that it is only money, and that is what they are for. The money she gives him, is her way of expressing her love to the brother. She never think that maybe he wants something totally different, he wants feelings, wants someone to tell him that he exist for a reason. His alcoholism is according to Ann not existing, her brother can simply not have an alcohol problem. It is easy to see, that this is her brothers way of going against his sister.

He has the need to do something against his sister, and make her realize, that she can not make him, something he is not. She can not make him wear clothes, he dislike, she can’t change him, no matter how big an amount of money she gives him. His life is a mess, he is in a deep alcoholism, even though he loves his child and ex-wife. “He’d wanted to run away then, run back home to his mother and father. Was it possible to start all over again? ” (pp, 4. ll, 119) Ann is very controlling, she wants him to stay week, so she drags him back into alcoholism, she thinks that she has all the right answers.

That her mother and father was in no condition to raise a child, that she could do it better herself, but all she ever did was doing it the wrong way. Money can not replace true feelings, it can not replace the love between to humans, money can never make a person happy, and it did not make her brother happy, it killed him. Both the picture by Edward Munch, and the text by D. H. Lawrence is about women controlling their men. In the painting, a woman encloses a man with her hair, he is in her power. She has the power to control him. The man in he picture has a very sad look in his eyes, as if he nows that he does not have the power to get out of her grip. In the text a man is describing how his girlfriend is very possessive and wants to control him. “She had such a lust for possession, a greed of self-importance in love”(pp. 6, ll. 7). This painting and the text are both very similar to the themes in the short story. They both surrounds the topic of women being dominant, and wanting to control the men, just like Ann’s needs to control her younger brother. Fiction and non-fiction is two very different ways of writing.

In fiction you can write anything that comes to you mind, there are no specific rules that inquirer you to do something certain. A fiction story can be very unrealistic, but also very realistic. When looking at the short story Abduction, it is quickly discovered that it is a fiction story. To start with it has a third person narrator. In fiction a narrator can write down the characters thoughts, and him or her, can be very subjective: “The first time he left his sister’s house for the office he felt like a fool togged up in a black cashmere and silk shirts”(pp. 3, ll. 8). Non-fiction on the other hand is submitted rules, in non-fiction you have to stay as objective as possible. Personal thoughts are not to prefer, the writer is telling the story as it happened, him or her is passing on valuable information, and that information has to be unbiased. “Alfred Adler observed that there was an innate “drive for power an superiority” that was evidenced in sibling rivalry”(pp. 8, ll. 1) Alfred is observing something, and these observations can be used to conclude something. That would not have been the case, if the text had been fiction.

As there are varieties of subjects, themes and art, there are various types of a short story. Some of the types are ancient tales, humor, satire, fantasy, biography, education, local color, and history. Lets us have a glimpse on each one of them in this article. 1. Ancient Tales It is the power of the utilization of the ancient form of the tale in the modern short story. Italian writer Giovanni Verga’s The She-Wolf (1880), and Chinese writer Yeh Shao-Chun’s Mrs.

Li’s Hair are remarkable examples. 2. Fantasy Fantasy stories are nothing but the fair combination of the old tales tradition and the supernatural details. The fine examples of such stories are British writer John Collier’s horror fantasy Bottle Party (1939), Irish author Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover (1941), and British author Saki’s Tobermory (1911). 3. Humor These types of stories are meant for producing surprise and delight.

You will see that the most famous humorous tales and fables were written by the Americans. Mark Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865), and Joel Chandler Harris’s The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story (1894) are remarkable. There is serious humor in the works of Americans like Eudora Welty’s Petrified Man (1939) and ‘s The Custard Heart (1939). 4. satire The main purpose of satire is to attack the evils of society. There are writers who wrote stories of sober satire.

Austrian author Arthur Schnitzler’s Fate of the Baron (1923), and American Mary McCarthy’s The Man in the Brooks Brothers Shirt (1941) are known for their somber satire. 5. Education Story Such stories revolve around the education of the main character. The good example is American educator Lionel Trilling’s Of This Time, of That Place (1944). 6. History History types deal with a life story or historical event. Welty’s A Still Moment (a 1943 tory about naturalist John James Audubon) is fine example of story dealing with history event. . Local Color These types of stories deal with the customs and traditions of rural and small-town life. You can enjoy the local color in the stories of George Washington Cable, Maria togewortn, saran orne Jewett, ana Mary WIIKlns Freeman. I nese are some 0T tne types you may find in sort story genre. In recent times, stories have more local color, diversities in the representations, making use of dialects, and vernacular impressions. The story writes have been taking somewhat flexibility in writing stories as they wish.

English 102 14September2012 Becoming Yourself Alberto Alvaro Rios’ short story The Secret Lion, captures the spirit of a coming-of-age story between childhood and adolescence through the eyes of two boys, presumably from a lower-class Latino background. Through the use of various symbols, the theme of change is made apparent through the first-person, unnamed narrator. The use of this narrator is what shapes the story and the lessons learned within.

Due to the author’s choice of careful character construction within the unnamed narrator, the reader faces a significant amount of emotions and reactions within a very brief, yet compelling short story. The usage of the first-person point of view immediately presents the narrator to be a round character, due to the intimate opportunities the style of writing provides for fiction writing. Although we do not know the narrator’s name, due to the narrative style the audience can relate to the stories and experiences the character has.

We know how the character feels internally quite often, which is iconic of the round fictional character. For example, we are provided internal insights that only a round character would allow the audience the opportunity to discover. For example, the character reveals how he felt “personally abandoned somehow” when describing junior high school (Rios 201). We also discover a lot about the character’s personality through the actions and habits mentioned in the story. The following passage exemplifies a traits only a round character could have: “.. hat we would do down there was shout every dirty word we could think of, in every combination we could come up with, and we would yell about girls, and all the things we wanted to do with them. ” (Rios 201) This reveals that the narrator and his friend Sergio are going through a hormonal, rebellious stage where new sensations and impulses drive what pretty much most junior high student males’ experience. Since he is a round character, the reader has a stronger connection with him, and ultimately will reap the moral of the story the author wanted to provide.

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Due to the usage of the round character, the narrator’s motivations are very apparent. The motivations explain why the character is doing what he is doing. If the narrator was a flat character, the context of growth the two boys experience within their travels would be lost, and the story would lose an immense amount of what makes it so compelling. For example, without revelations of the motivations the character speaks of, then the story would be more or less just two boys simply walking around outside the desert, arriving to a golf course, and leaving.

The passage revealing what the children did to protect their treasured metal ball states “We came up with the answer. We dug a hole and buried. And we marked it secretly. Lots of secret signs… We dug up the whole bank, and we never found it again. ” (Rios 202) Without knowing that they were trying to hide this discovery and cherished item and then return to search for it, the audience would be left wondering exactly why these two children are digging up holes on an entire bank in the middle of an arroyo. Also, his motivations real why the character does what he does in terms of story progression.

Without motivations, there would be no engaged plot with a rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, rendering this work just a series of meaningless anecdotes. Because we know the background of the character as a middle school student itching to discover life, we can understand why he and Sergio leave adventuring to the arroyo and head to the mountains in the first place (Rios 205). They wanted to find out what the adults, specifically his mother, were keeping from them first hand; all because she told them not to worry about lay on the other side of the pass.

Their motivation and intrigue to discover what secret they had been missing out on led them to ultimately discover their version of heaven (the golf course) and ultimately the impermanence of life and change is inevitable. Due to the character’s said discovery that change is the only the thing that is permanent, makes him a dynamic character. He goes from being a curious, innocent naive boy at the beginning of the story who found magic in matters that were familiar to the realization that some things you love can e taken away from you, and that sadly, the grass is sometimes greener on the other side of the fence. This is revealed in the penultimate paragraph when the boys who had dug up the entire mound looking for their new treasure at the beginning of the story “didn’t look so hard for it” the second time (Rios 204). This newfound peace and acceptance that things get taken away is what makes the character dynamic; without the narrator would have not learned anything, been a static character, and the reader would have been left with an uncertainty no successful fiction author wishes to convey.

Ultimately, the unnamed narrator in The Secret Lion drives the story with his well-said first person point-of-view. Due to the choices the author made when giving the character his traits of being a round, dynamic character, the story’s themes of change and acceptance are successfully conveyed. Works Cited Rios, Alberto Alvaro. “The Secret Lion. ” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirsner and Stephen R. Mandell. United States: Uhl, 2013. 201-205. Print.

Less Is More Some say that short stories are pointless, who could possibly write a story in just 55 words and it make sense? Well it has been done and it works quite well! It takes an author of great skill to be able to put so much information into such a small piece of writing, to be able to fit in all the necessities. These authors have their own genre of writing. Some of these amazing authors include Lydia Davis, Margaret Atwood, and Terry L. Tilton. These are just a few of the outstanding brains behind some of the best short stories ever written.

Not only do these authors use the lack of words in such a way to make the reader more involved in the outcome of the story, they also use fewer words to be more dramatic, and to leave you with questions. In the short story “That Settles That“, Terry L. Tilton uses 55 words to complete an entire story. Here it is, Tom was a handsome, fun-loving young man, albeit a bit drunk when he got into the argument with Sam, his roommate of just two months. ‘You can’t. You can not write a short story in just 55 words, you idiot? ’ Sam shot him dead on the spot. Oh yes you can,’ Sam said, smiling. This story is outstanding! It shows how much can be said in just a few words and leaves so many blanks for the reader to fill in. Some may look at this as being lazy, to leave so much for the reader to figure out on their own, however, for someone to conduct a story in 55 words that make sense, that is total genus! These authors that create these masterpieces know that a lot of readers prefer to be more active as they read. They like to read between the lines, look underneath the text.

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These readers are very common and the authors know this, they know that their target audience are those who feel as if they are included in the writing process, that they get to decide what people look like and what they wear. They like to have the ability to make these decisions based upon the surrounding text, the information that the author does give. Stories like this one, give the reader the chance to work their brains, not just read the plain text for face value. This is a huge reason that short stories are important, they let active readers give their brain the work out it needs! Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood is very dramatic. This short story is all about different ways to write a happy ending, although these ways involve extraneous situations involving lives that do not end happily, and in the end, no matter what, the main characters end up dying. A short story has to be more dramatic, more things need to happen in a short amount of time so the reader doesn’t get all the extra information. Think about it as if it is a Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t get all the stuffing and mashed potatoes, just the turkey, that’s all you have time for!

These writers know that they only have a short amount of space to write in everything that they need so they want the big meaty pieces in there so it makes a huge impact! Lydia Davis beautifully wrote “Letter to a Funeral Parlor“. This short story is a letter that someone composed about their father passing away and the funeral parlor using the word “Cremains” to describe him. Lyndia Davis says, “Then we were sitting there in our chairs in the living room trying not to weep in front of your representative who… referred to [my father] as ‘the cremains’”.

This shows Davis’ ability to pull at the readers heart strings and make a point. This is a wonderfully written piece and it does exactly what a short story should do! Not only does it use a lack of words to have the readers fill in the blanks themselves but she also writes in a dramatic way. She is very to the point. She also does the final thing that is conveyed within short stories, she leaves you with questions. This is an amazing thing to do, as it leaves the readers wondering. Sometimes there are sequels to short stories and other times it is just another way to get the reader more involved.

This give the reader another chance to fill in the blanks. Like in the Letter to a Funeral Parlor, it does not speak of how the father dies, nor does it talk about where they are from or what the people look like. These are all questions the author leaves the readers with, to think about. Readers enjoy reading short stories because they are something different from novels. Some people don’t want to have a book that takes a week or longer to read, some people don’t have attention ps that will last through an entire book.

Those people want something they can read in 30 seconds or a half hour depending on if it’s a short short or not. Just because someone is a reader who prefers to read something short does not make then any worse or a reader that someone who likes 1000 page novels. It is all in the preference of the reader. Reading a short story is a good idea for readers because it gives you more options of reading. They are there for the readers who like to figure things out on their own. Short stories are amazing to read.

They always leave you with something to think about. These essays are difficult to construct because of the amount of information that needs to be in such a small piece of writing. That is why the authors that do create these pieces of work are to be applauded because not everyone can do it. In a short story the author lets the reader be an active reader, filling in all the extra blanks and details. Short story authors also use fewer words to be dramatic. The less space you have to write, the fewer useless details and things that you will have.

Therefore, the whole content is the important meat. This makes it so that the points are not drawn out, it creates a more climactic piece of work. These authors also leave their readers with questions. This creates the ability to keep the readers intrigued. Short story authors are amazing at what they do, someone like Terry L. Tilton, who has the ability to write a story in 55 words, should be commended or what they do. Works Cited Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 9th ed. Boston: St Martins, 2008. Print. Works Cited Knight

Friendship is a feeling of love of one person for another. Its not necessary to choose whom to be your friend,your best friend. The friendship between one person and another are always in different ways. The feelings, the sentiments are not similar.. I knew her since kindergarten. Her name is Kristen, she came from a rich family. She can easily have whatever she wants because she was the only child in her family. Her father is a successful business man. And her mother was a great spender. And I’m her best friend. She used to be a stubborn one and never listen to others.

She always think that she is the perfect one and she was right. She would never listen to the advice. She is so herself. Because of her behavior , she seemed to be so lonely among friends. I bet nobody likes her in school , especially the discipline teacher. People were wondering how i could stand her behavior and still so good to her. What did she meant to me? Friend. I treat her as my best friend, because I knew that her attitude is different from her personalities. I knew that She has everything exept love. Kristen always turn up to amusement park instead of tuition class. he was lost in a materialistic life. Then she met a guy. She fell in love with a jobless guy. In my mind, true friend should involve in inspiring their friends to walk on the right path, no ridiculous mistakes. I’ve begging her not to simply fall I love with pleasure seeking guys. And I’m extraordinary sured that she was stepping on the thinnest ice. Which could ruin her in anytime. I told her to promise me that she would not do the wrong things, also respect her mother. “i promised, i will. ” she had said. Of course, she wont. She started to absent for school. I were in her house on the day that her mum found out she played truant . Her mum loose control, then they scream and shout to each other after starting a conversation. The relationship between she and mother was very bad. No discussion between them but only quarreling all the time. I’ve been trying so hard to persuade her to be a obedient daughter , respect her mother. But she would never listen. Time after time she was trying to leave her house. I used to visit her so often , because I knew what she really lacked of. She was loosing her weight day after day. Get thin and thinner .

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I wondered why she dont satisfied of her body size. Until one Saturday night ! She hug and cried on my shoulder and babbling on everything’s. That was the first time she did this to me since we met. I thought she was strong , but she wasn’t . She felt she gain no love  but relatives and friends that looked down on her and parents that shouted to her oftentimes. The next morning, i had a sudden phone call from her mother, saying that she was missing. We tried so hard to find her on every single day. About one year later, Kristen returned in a thin, sick physical conditions.

The scene in my mind is still so clear . Kristen was squatting on the floor in the kitchen,with hands on head. Her skin and lips were dry and her unfocused eyes filled with tears. She never stop snivel , and her nose was dripping like a water tap. I guessed I knew what had happened to her. My heart was suffocating , her mum cried on her :” Kris ! I told you to behave ! And you! Why? Why did you do this ? ” and I added , ” I know you doesn’t intend to become a drug addict . Kristen , come back back please. We will help you and your father is on the way home to help you !

We will be with you. ”  Kristen spoke with a smile of despair ” thank you ,my friend ,for everything. But , but it’s too late , I’m pregnant . ” she picked a knife from behind and stabbed herself on the stomach and blood ame out and she fell , faced Dow the floor. My heart stop beating for a few seconds and I heard she whispered . ” I’m sorry , mother . ” she close her eyes , blood dripping from her lifeless body . Death is simple , easy . Life is harder. What im thinking is, This incident won’t go so bad if only she had listen to me.

There are moments in our lives when we radically change. Something happens to us that transforms us into a new person. It may come as we read an engaging text, as we undergo an enlightening experience, or as we witness an interesting event.

The catalyst for this radical change may vary, but its impact will always be the same: we can never go back to our old self, because the change, once done, marks our individual history. This is what happens to Sammy, the main character of the short story, .

Sammy undergoes a personal change, a change that makes him take a stand and evolve from an immature teenager to a young man strongly resolved to stand firm in his beliefs.

In the first part of the story, we see Sammy’s immaturity as he ogles at the three scantily clad girls. He observes them like any normal teenage boy; he sees the girls as objects of interest because of the way they are dressed.  He is delighted by their presence because of his attraction to them, especially to the dominant girl in the group whom he calls Quennie, who is “more than pretty” (page number).

Sammy even goofs around with his co-worker Stokesie, reveling in the presence of the girls who are so misplaced, wearing bathing suits at a grocery store:

You know, it’s one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the A & P, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages, with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor.