Module: I
Q. Write short notes.
1.
Plot:
Plot
is a sequence of events or actions in the story. It follows a structure that
includes an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution. E. M. Foster distinguishes between story and plot by
giving the following example:
‘The
king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen
died of grief is a plot’.
Thus,
plot involves cause and effect relationship. It does not merely describe
the events. For example, in “The Model Millionaire,” Hughie feels sympathy for
the beggar. This is a cause. In return, the beggar gives him handsome amount. This
is the effect.
A
plot can be simple or complex. Similarly, a plot may have a main plot
along with subplot. However, in a short story, there is no place for
complex plot or subplot.
2.
Characters:
The
individuals who take part in the action of the story are called characters. The
characters can be major or minor. A character who plays an important
role in the development of the plot is termed as the major character. A short
story usually focuses on one or a few central characters. Due to limited space,
the writer typically introduces only two or three characters in a short story.
For
example, in A. K. Ramanujan’s short story “The Serpent Lover,” there are only
three important characters: Kamakshi, her husband, and the Serpent King. These are
the major characters. On the other hand, the old woman, the concubine or the
queen are the minor characters.
3.
Setting:
The
time and place where the story occur is called the setting. The setting helps to
establish the mood and context for the characters’ actions. The setting plays
an important role in the development of the plot.
In
the short story “A Cup of Tea,” the setting is one city. The antique shop, the
street, Rosemary’ bungalow highlight the city atmosphere. It does talk about rosemary’s
lavish lifestyle. Against this
background, the poverty of Miss Smith becomes prominent.
It
is winter season mentioned in the story. The chilled winter afternoon makes it
convincing that Miss Smith badly needs a cup of tea.
The
major events in the story are: 1) Rosemary meets the poor girl; 2) Rosemary
invites the poor girl to her home; 3) the poor girl leaves Rosemary’s home. All
these events involve a time span of hardly 2-3 hours. The writer knows well how
‘brevity’ is important in short story. Thus, the writer has skilfully used
setting in the story.
4.
Point of View:
The
concept of ‘point of view’ is related to the narration and the narrator. It is
important to see who the story is narrating. This technique of narrating a
story is known as ‘point of view’. Common points of view include first-person
point of view and the third person point of view.
In
the first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story. In the
third-person point of view, the narrator remains outside the story. But he
knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
Third-person
narration is a very common technique. Very few stories use first-person
narration. Thus, in “The Model Millionaire”, the narrator is outside the story,
and he tells us the story of the handsome man Hughie and his beloved Laura.
Often, in third-person narration, the narrator uses the third-person pronoun
‘he’ or ‘she’ for the characters in the story.
5.
Brevity:
Brevity
is the soul of short story. Brevity means shortness. This
brevity is reflected in a short story on all levels. Brevity is seen in story
in the following way:
i)
Length of short story: A short story demands a single sitting reading. So,
it should include few pages. Its word range is from a few hundred words to
around ten thousand words.
ii)
Plot: Due to brevity, the writer needs to focus on a single event. Complex
plot or sub-plots are not seen in short story. Every word in a short story
counts and should contribute to the story’s conclusion.
iii)
Language: The language of short story must be precise. The unnecessary
details are avoided. This economy of language ensures that the story remains
tightly focused.
iv)
Characters: There is no room for too many characters in short story. It revolves
around a very few major characters.
v)
Setting: A short story writer cannot think of different locations.
Usually, the plot is unfolded at single or a couple of places. Similarly, there
is time limitation. A story of generations or different families ranging to different
periods (that can be seen in the Mahabharat) is not possible in short story.
Thus, due to brevity the grandness of
novel or epic is missing in short story. But at the same time, brevity makes a
short story writer very skilful. With the help of limited tools, he has to give
complete joy to his readers. That’s really a challenging job for a short story
writer.
MCQs:
1.
According to _____ a short story should
be read in one sitting. (Edgar Allan Poe)
2.
Brevity, purposefulness, and realism in
short story has been emphasised by _____. (Anton Chekhov)
3.
A short story is _____ of literature. (a
minor form)
4.
The time and place where a story occurs
is known as _____. (setting)
5.
_____ is the soul of a short story.
(Brevity)
6.
_____ advocated open-ended conclusion in
a short story. (Anton Chekhov)
7.
The 19th century writers like
O’Henry, Guy de Maupassant and Oscar Wilde are famous for _____. (twist in the
tale)
8.
A narrative which is longer than short
story, but shorter than novel is termed as _____. (novella)
9.
In the first-person narration, the
narrator is _____. (inside the story)
10.
_____ narrator is also known as ‘omniscient
narrator’. (third-person)
