Chapter 11: Short Stories: Exploring Themes and Images

Introduction

With artistic images, the reading and analysis of classic and contemporary short stories become more engaging. The keen psychological insights that classic short stories write about can be compared with contemporary writers of the short story like Margaret Atwood, Raymond Carver, Mavis Gallant, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Borges, and Alice Munroe. A portrait or painting can also lend itself to the close analysis how artist conveys the emotional expression of a person. Important details of the setting, composition, lighting, and inner or outer landscapes can further reveal the atmosphere and mood that a particular painting evokes.  A close look at the themes of romance in classic short stories can provide valuable insights into gender roles, and the socio-cultural dimensions of a given time period.  Learners can explore different facets of love that include romantic love, familial love, lost love, discovered love, loyalty, unrequited love, and the illusory nature of love.