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Short Story Guide "The Destructors"

This document provides guidelines for writing a short story analysis paper. It instructs the student to break down the story into its plot elements and format the paper into separate sections with headings. Each section should analyze different elements of the story like the title and meaning, what the story is about on the surface and deeper levels, the mood, setting, point of view, characters, conflicts, symbolism, themes, and moral. Students are asked to choose a song that connects to one of the story's themes and explain the connection and song's deeper meaning in a concluding paragraph.

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missbellsstudents
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151 views

Short Story Guide "The Destructors"

This document provides guidelines for writing a short story analysis paper. It instructs the student to break down the story into its plot elements and format the paper into separate sections with headings. Each section should analyze different elements of the story like the title and meaning, what the story is about on the surface and deeper levels, the mood, setting, point of view, characters, conflicts, symbolism, themes, and moral. Students are asked to choose a song that connects to one of the story's themes and explain the connection and song's deeper meaning in a concluding paragraph.

Uploaded by

missbellsstudents
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Short Story Guide

Authors Name
In this assignment you will break down the story into its plot elements to demonstrate your understanding
of the story on both a literal and inferential level to produce a usable guide to the story. Please format your
paper into separate sections with proper headings.
Each section should have details in complete sentences that fully explore the presented element.
Storys Title and Meaning
Why is your story titled this way?
What is meant by the title?
What This Story is About
This section will be about 200 words and written in paragraph format
This should not be a summary of the story, but instead a discussion about the content and action of
the story
Be sure your response also answers the questions:
1. What is this story about on the surface?
2. What is this story about on a deeper (symbolic) level
3. What purpose is served by this story (does it highlight a larger issue, investigate
a human frailty, represent a class issue etc.)?

Mood
Tone and mood are pretty easy to mix up. Tone: how the author feels towards his subject, while
mood is how the reader feels while reading the story. Be sure you are commenting on mood based
on what happens and not your level of frustration. The author intends for the reader to feel a
certain way.
Setting
Where and when the story takes place
What is important (if anything) to note about the setting ?
What past events have shaped the current setting?
Point of View
From what point of view is the story told?
What purpose does this serve (why is the story told in this manner?)
Characters and Characterization
Give each central character their own section
Who are the central characters?
Identify the role this character plays (protagonist, antagonist etc.)
How are these characters characterized? (indirect/direct be sure to discuss)
What do we know about their personalities?
Do they symbolize anything?
Are they stereotypes?
What purpose does this character serve?

Conflict
What specifically are the conflicts in the story? Be sure to identify the central conflict along with
any other conflicts that impact the plot
Is the central conflict internal or external?
Person vs?
What causes the conflict?

Symbolism
Look for, explain and identify instances of:
Symbolism (objects two min.)
Symbolism (actions two min.)
People
These may not be in all stories
Places
Moral
What, if any, is the moral (lesson) of this story?
Theme
Write two well- crafted theme statements
Theme and moral are not the same.
There may be more than two themes, but focus on the two your group feels
are most powerful.
Synthesis
On the actual assignment sheet write a brief paragraph about the song selection and its
connections to the story. Be sure that you address the theme it is connected to and that you
explain what the song is about on a deeper (metaphorical/ symbolic) level

Attach the song and its highlighted poetic devices to your final copy

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