Short Story

The course provides a survey of the short story from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It will trace the development of various tendencies in prose fiction in a selection of short stories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Different textual components and authorial strategies will be explored in the context of some basic literary theory and history. The course will encourage critical and analytic reading practices through a focus on close reading, interpretation and response. The selected authors represent a range of national and cultural identities offering students insight into the aesthetic and ethnic diversity of the modern short story. Finally it is hoped that the readings on the course outline will inspire students to develop and extend their experience and enjoyment of literature and reading.