How to Analyze a Short Story

What is a Short Story?

A short story is a work of short, narrative prose that is usually centered around one single event. It is limited in scope and has an introduction, body and conclusion. Although a short story has much in common with a novel (See How to Analyze a Novel), it is written with much greater precision.  An analysis of a short story requires basic knowledge of literary elements. The following guide and questions may help you. When you write your analysis you should name the different elements that you go through (for example: The setting of the story is …).

Setting
Setting is a description of where and when the  story takes place. In a short story there are fewer settings compared to a novel. The time is more limited.

•How is the setting created? Consider geography, weather, time of day, social conditions, etc.

•What role does setting play in the story? Is it an important part of the plot or theme? Or is it just a backdrop against which the action takes place?

Study the time period which is also part of the setting.

•When was the story written?

•Does it take place in the present, the past, or the future?

•How does the time period affect the language, atmosphere or social circumstances of the short story?

Characters How are the characters in the story described? In short stories there are usually fewer characters compared to a novel. They usually focus on one central character or protagonist.

•Who is the main character?

•Are the main character and other characters described through dialogue – by the way they speak (dialect or slang for instance)?

•Has the author described the characters by physical appearance, thoughts and feelings, and interaction (the way they act towards others)?

•Are they static/flat characters who do not change?

•Are they dynamic/round characters who DO change?

•What type of characters are they? What qualities stand out? Are they stereotypes?

•Are the characters believable?

Plot and structure
The plot is the main sequence of events that make up the story. In short stories the plot is usually centered around one experience or significant moment.

•What is the most important event?

• How is the plot structured? Is it linear (from begining to end) or is it non-linear (jumps back and forth in time)?

•Is the plot believable?

Narrator and Point of view
The narrator is the person telling the story. Is the narrator and the main character the same?

By point of view we mean from whose eyes the story is being told. Short stories tend to be told through one character’s point of view.

•Who is the narrator or speaker in the story?

•Does the author speak through the main character?

•Is the story written in the first person “I” point of view?

•Is the story written in a detached third person “he/she” point of view?

•Is there an “all-knowing” 3rd person who can reveal what all the characters are thinking and doing at all times and in all places?

Conflict
Conflict or tension is usually the heart of the short story and is related to the main character. In a short story there is usually one main struggle.

•How would you describe the main conflict?

•Is it an internal conflict within the character?

•Is it an external conflict caused by the surroundings or environment the main character finds himself/herself in?

Examples of conflicts could be: 1. The character has an internal conflict where she can’t decide if she is going to stay faithful to her friend or just think of herself. 2. There is an external conflict where the white students in the school are harassing a group of black students.
Remember that there are often many conflicts in a story.

Climax
The climax is the point of greatest tension or intensity in the short story. It can also be the turning point where events take a major turn as the story races towards its conclusion.

•Is there a turning point in the story?

•When does the climax take place?

Theme
The theme is the main idea, lesson or message in the short story. It is usually an abstract idea about the human condition, society or life. Examples of themes could be: revenge, duty for your country, infidelity, life is too short to be wasted, betrayal, racism, gender inequality etc. There could be many themes in the same short story.

•How is the theme expressed?

•Are any elements repeated that may suggest a theme?

Example of an analysis of a short story.

Analysis on A Respectable Woman

Kate Chopin’s “A Respectable Woman” was written in 1894 and is set in the same century somewhere south of the United States, on Mr. Baroda’s sugar plantation. The story is written in third person and has an all-knowing speaker. In the following excerpts it is revealed that the narrative takes place in the early spring: “They had enertained a good deal during the winter … She was looking forward to a period of unbroken rest …” and “’I’m going to the city in the morning to have my spring gowns fitted.’”. Evident in the fine surroundings with Corinhtian pillars and dressing rooms is that the characters are upper class – something of great importance to the story since it creates the perfect circumstances for a romantic plot. Had Mr. Baroda not been wealthy and owned a large property, he probably would not have been able to offer Gouvernail two weeks at his residence, and had mrs. Baroda’s husband not been rich, she might not have had the same amount of spare time as a housewife to socialize with Gouvernail. Furthermore, the time period of the story is reflected in the social conditions. For example, the reason why mrs. Baroda wears gowns is because women during the nineteenth century were expected to wear dresses. Another example is mrs. Baroda complaining about not having to plan for Gouvernail’s comfort and enjoyment, which is related to the fact that women of her time had the responsibility of taking care of the guests.

Known about Kate Chopins is that she lived a wealthy life in New Orleans together with her husband, who established a business that produced commodities such as cotton and sugar. Judging from the obvious similarities between Chopin’s life and the story’s setting, the lattest was likely inspired by the former.

Mrs. Baroda is the story’s main character. In terms of personality, mrs. Baroda seems to be somewhat of a prude, which is directly connected to the fact that she tries to live up to her pictured image of a respectable woman. It is not strange that her attraction to Gouvernail causes her to feel the urge to distance himself from him, considering that sexuality during this time period was strictly a private matter and in many ways a bit taboo. In addition, a respectable woman is loyal to her husband, and by avoiding Gouvernail, she is better able to suppress her desires. Along with mrs. Baroda’s first name never being revealed, the lack of descriptions of her physical appearance suggests that Kate Chopin may have used the character to write about her own experiences.
Gaston is mrs. Barodas husband and also her best friend. Understood from his affectionate conversations with his wife is that Gaston is a kind and caring man.
Gouvernail is Gaston’s overworked friend. Although described as “lovable” and “inoffensive” Gouvernail remains the most mysterious character in the story since he is barely involved in any dialogues and since the author does not let the reader know his thoughts.

The conflict of the narrative is mrs. Baroda’s internal struggle of dealing with her emotions for Gouvernail, which could be caused by various reasons. A possible explanation is that mrs. Baroda is in love with Gouvernail but is unable to show her feelings out of fear of what may happen to her reputation. After all, she is a respectable woman and compared to present time, adultery was associated with much more shame in the nineteenth century. A different scenario could be that mrs. Baroda is happily married and that her attraction to Gouvernail is merely physical. Being a “sensible” woman, Baroda therefore choses to distance herself from her guest in order to protect her marriage. By not being near Gouvernail, mrs. Baroda does not risk falling into temptation.

The narrative has a linear structure, and beause it is centered around mrs. Barodas attraction to Gouvernail, her interactions with Gouvernail during his visit constitute the most important events, since these are the occasions that allow her attraction to form and build up. When it comes to the story’s climax, the greatest tension occurs more than half way through the story when mrs. Baroda and Gouvernail are seated beside each other under an oak tree. At this point, mrs. Baroda becomes overwhelmed with feelings of lust, and the reader finally gets to know whether she will give in to

her desires or not. Of course mrs. Baroda is a respectable woman and therefore, disappointingly to some readers, resists her desires. A while after Gouvernail’s visit to the sugar plantation, mrs. Baroda seems to have defeated her internal struggle. This is the turning point and happens at the end of Chopin’s narrative; “… before the year ended, she proposed, wholly from herself, to have Gouvernail visit them again. […] ‘Oh,’ she told him, laughingly, after pressing a long, tender kiss upon his lips, ‘I have overcome everything! You will see. This time I shall be very nice to him.’”. With regard to the last sentence, mrs. Barodas intention can be interpreted differently. Perhaps she has finally overcome her attraction to Gouvernail, or at least managed to find a way to deal with it. Laughing and kissing her husband when telling him that she “has ovecome everything”, could imply that mrs. Baroda has realized that her confusion about Gouvernail was nothing more than part of a silly crush. Shoud this be the case, the story teaches us a lesson about marriage – when a married woman encounters romantic temptation, she can overcome it. Moreover, there is a significant part of the narrative – “Mrs. Baroda was greatly tempted that night to tell her husband – who was also her friend – of this folly that had seized her. But she did not yield to the temptation. Beside being a respectable woman she was a very sensible one; and she knew there are some

battles in life which a human being must fight alone.” – where it becomes apparent that mrs. Baroda sees her attraction to Gouvernail as something that needs to be defeated, a battle that must be won. Neverthless, one could also interpret mrs. Barodas unexpected change of mind as a result of her having gained the confidence to initiate an affair with Gouvernail and thus putting her marriage and reputation at risk. If we assume that this is what mrs. Baroda intends, the story discretely encourages women to defy society’s norms and fulfill their sexual and romantic needs.

Suitable to the romantic theme are the french expressions “têtê-a-têtê” and “ma belle” that Kate Chopin, whom herself was french on her mother’s side, uses in the story. There are a few metaphors in the text that enriche the language as well. “… Footsteps crunching the gravel …” and “… his silence melted for the time.” are two examples.

Analysis of “Indian Camp”

“Indian Camp” is one of Earnest Hemingway’s short stories and tells of a young boy, named Nick, witnessing a childbirth. It is written in chronological order and is told from Nick’s point of view through a third person narration. Because the story takes place at an Indian camp, or in modern language Native American camp, we know that it is set in North America subsequent to the British colonization and before present day. The setting plays an important role. Whereas a British woman probably would not have agreed to let Nick’s father bring his son to watch her giving birth, the Native Americans had no choice since they themselves did not possess the medical skills and knowledge required, and were desperate for any help they could get.

Nick is the main character and the story revolves around the internal change that happens within him as he reacts to and learns about labor, birth and suicide. There are examples in the narrative in which this is subtly conveyed. In the beginning, Nick sits in the back of the boat with his father, but on the way home, he sits alone in the back of the boat, facing his father, as if the author wanted to show that the dramatic events have made Nick stronger and more independent. It is unlikely that Nick’s placement in the boat is a coincidence when considering that in the end of the story, Hemingway mentions twice the fact that Nick is the one sitting in the back and that his father is rowing (on the opposite side of nick). Interestingly, going through the events seems to have put so much fortitude into Nick that he feels ready to defy even death – “… he felt quite sure that he would never die.”. Other important characters besides Nick are his father, his uncle George, the Indian lady and the Indian lady’s husband. Peculiar is that all characters except uncle George have an obvious purpose in the story. Nick for example, we know is the main character, and his father – a doctor – is the one helping the indian lady deliver her baby. Could it be that George is actually the baby’s father? There are clues in the text giving strength to this theory. In the following excerpt, Uncle George is bit by the Indian lady and laughed at : “… Uncle George and three Indian men held the woman still. She bit Uncle George on the arm and Uncle George said some rude words to her. The young Indian who had rowed Uncle George over laughed at him. […] Uncle George looked at his arm. The young Indian smiled as he thought back on what had happened.”. If Uncle George made the lady pregnant, he is in a way the reason for the lady’s pain and thus it makes sense that the lady, in her irrational state, wants to punish him. The fact that Uncle George earlier gave cigars to the Indians, and the fact that the young Indian laughs at Uncle George getting bit, suggests a friendly relation between the two parties and that the Indians know about Uncle George being the father. As a reader, one becomes even more suspicious of Uncle George later in the story, when he apparently stays at the camp when the doctor and Nick leave. In addition, Uncle George was also the first one to arrive to the camp. With regard to the suicide, the Indian lady’s husband had endured listening to his wife’s screaming for two days. He might have slit his throat out of weakness of dealing with both his wife’s pain as well as his own pain from the axe injury. A different interpretation, should we believe the theory about Uncle George, is that the husband killed himself since he could not bear the shame of his wife having a child with another man.

The narration’s main event is the childbirth, since everything else in the story is related to this. Climax occurs during the delivery of the baby, when the reader is eager to know whether the doctor will be successful or not. Later, the turning point happens when the husband is found dead in his bunker and the atmosphere abruply changes. Just after Nick’s father had saved both baby and mother, everyone felt relieved and happy. Then, when discovering the suicide, everyone were unpleasantly shocked.

Since we are told the story through Nick’s perspective, we are supposed to have learned what Nick has learned. While the Indian husband took his own life, Nick feels quite sure that he will never die. In other words, Nick has learned to be strong and not weak, and that one must endure hard situations and not give up. This could be the story’s theme.

The author uses an easy to understand language free from rethorical figures, which fits the story considering that he wants the reader to see things from the eyes of a child.

Overall, in my personal opinion, the story was well thought out and exciting to read. My favorite character is Nick, because of his innocence. I am not very fond of his father who made some sexist remarks about women’s labor pains, saying that the pregnant woman’s screams were not important and that husbands are “…usually the worst sufferers when their wives are giving birth…”. However, one must keep in mind that his comments only reflect the contemporary view on women, which was not as good back then as it is today.