Short Cuts

In every short story theme is the key to understanding the true meaning the author is trying to get at for the reader. The reader will acknowledge the theme all throughout the short story, from the beginning to the end the story will come together to form the theme. Today the reader will focus on three stories and tell what the theme is for each of the three short stories. The three stories are “The Story of an Hour”, “Where Are You Going,Where Have You Been, and “Doe Season”. The theme for…

Short and Sweet The short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, was published in December of 1905. In only a few pages, William Sydney Porter, under his pen name O. Henry, composes a magical story of love and sacrifice. Both characters are willing to give up what they love most for the person they love. O. Henry shows his excellence as a writer in “The Gift of the Magi” with his plot, use of irony, and his theme of love. According to Emily Wenstrom from “The Write Practice”, there are a…

saw the poem states that the boy saw everything. This is a hyperbole because it is an exaggeration of what the boy saw in his last moments. The boy’s hand is also personified as being gone, but the hand didn’t really go anywhere. When the hand was cut off so was the boy’s life source. The life of the boy is personified as spilling into death. This shows the quickness in which death can strike. The buzz saw snarled and rattled while everything else was quiet. These onomatopoeias show the buzz saw…

In the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier, Lizabeth's tumultuous transition into adulthood leads to her realization that she cannot be an innocent adult. After Lizabeth instructs the neighborhood children to “expertly aim stone[s in order to] cut the head[s] off ” of Ms. Lottie’s marigolds, Lizabeth is then “ashamed, [because] . . . the child in [her] . . . said it [is] all . . . fun, but the woman in [her] flinche[s] at the thought of the malicious attack that [she] ha[s] led”…

This story reflects on Poe’s alcoholism and short temperament on his final years. Another story that has an alcoholic character is “The Cask of Amontillado” which is about someone who is extremely drunk chains a guy up to a stone while in deep inside some catacombs and then walls him up in those catacombs…

Have you ever sacrificed your possessions for a loved one in your life? The short story, "The Gift of The Magi," by O. Henry is an amazing short story about love and sacrifice between a couple. A Sir, named Jim, and a madam, named Della. Both made sacrifices in this short story by giving up the possessions they value most in their relationship. Sacrifice in this short story is shown by a couple giving up their most valuable possessions for each other. Della and Jim used all of their money to buy…

Letting Go is written in creative narrative form with elements of realism. The general setting of the short story is in the mind of the character of Harlan’s wife. This was chosen as a means to reflect the oppressive nature of some males. The predatory archetype of the men in the 1990s is emphasised. The contemplative nature of the character explores varying emotions and the strength of compassion. The purpose of this story is to highlight that abuse is prevalent in and at any time and has the…

In the year of 1900, Barret Montfort sat in school. Over the year, he compiled a small collection of essays for his English class. To compare these writings to a common day activity, it would be most similar to journal entry prompts. What can be found from his writings are different personality traits he possessed. Later in his life, Montfort went on to be an engineer and was actually deployed in World War I. During his time in World War I, he sent letters to his Auntie and kept her up to date…

of them choose their own unique cultural identity.As generation and time progresses more people are resisting their cultural heritage and are choosing their unique cultural identity because of how they look,money,race,and skin color. In the short story “Everyday Use by Alice Walker” Dee (Wangero) Mama’s eldest daughter wants to use everyday used items in Mama’s and Maggie’s house as a reminder of what she used to be and what she is not anymore. For example, Dee wants Mama’s quilt; to hang…

have a point to get across in his short story about the unwanted being that the lovebirds have made. With the presentation of this couple in a descriptive and non-verbal way, one can see how the story seems to be intended for young adult readers who will be able to recognize the young, but powerful love that is shown. However, these loving notions are not to be seen without a conflict that seems to create questions of whether the love is just fabricated. The short story also seems to pose…