Harriet J. Bauman
The modern short story is a work of art, relatively short, with an elaborate structure, an interest in time and space, having an emotional impact, and a consciousness of style. The traditional elements of short stories, like the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and epilogue are not always observed by modern authors. Their works are more flexible in structure, more expansive in their content and theme, and more expressive in style.
Edgar Allen Poe’s works, forerunners of today’s short stories, set the formal characteristics of this genre: the story was to be short, able to be read in a single sitting so as to give a unity of impression by focusing on one isolated incident in the life of a character, or in one character’s relationship with another. An atmosphere is created in which the characters live, breathe, and function, which, in turn, creates an emotion.
The unity of impression is the most important characteristic of a modern short story. It builds an intense emotional climate in which all the elements of the story converge to create the climax, and finally, the falling action and conclusion.
The action is another important element of the short story. Something must happen, no matter how small. The story must bring the reader from Point A to Point B to insure its value as an art form.
The short story’s internal structure determines the significance of the different elements, both technical and artistic (themes, symbols, images), which distinguish its genre from other narrative forms. Point of view is instrumental in the unfolding of the narrative as it determines the climate in which the story takes place.
Due to the brevity of a short story, the writer must make every word count. The introduction creates the interest for the reader and the emotional tone of the narrative. The author sets the scene, describes the atmosphere, determines the time, and gets the characters moving.
The exposition presents the conflict around which the story takes place. This conflict could be between characters, between characters and society, between characters and nature, or within the soul of the main character.
The exposition’s tension leads to the climax. The change that occurs determines the falling action. The falling action is given great intensity by the converging of all the elements of the short story toward it. Occasionally, in a short story where the atmosphere is the most important element, the falling action is relatively weak.
The modern short story’s strength rests on its effectiveness as a microcosm of society with well-defined limits, along with its great intensity and completeness. The success of a short story depends upon the ability of the narrator to manipulate the technical elements of the short story.
