Literary Devices & Themes in Classic Short Stories

Core Literary Elements Explained

Plot: The Main Narrative

The main sequence of events in a story.

Setting: Time and Place

The time and places in which the action of a story takes place.

Foreshadowing: Hints of Future Events

A hint at what is going to happen later in the story.

Outcome: Story Resolution

The ending or resolution of the story.

Tone: Author's Attitude

How the author wants the reader to perceive the story and its subject matter.

Imagery: Creating Mental Pictures

Language that appeals to the senses, creating a mental image for the reader.

Hemingway's 'Cat in the Rain' Analysis

Plot Summary

“Cat in the Rain” is about an American woman on holiday in Italy who is unhappy with her marital life. She projects her feelings of loneliness and desire for care onto a stray cat caught in the rain.

Setting Details

The setting of this story is an Italian hotel, particularly the American couple's room. The hotel-keeper is a character within this setting, and the rainy weather is a significant atmospheric element.

Foreshadowing Elements

The woman's statement that she "wants it to be spring" symbolizes her deep wish for a renewal or a "new spring" in her relationship and life.

Key Symbols

• The War Monument: Mentioned three times, this may suggest an underlying conflict, either internal or within the relationship.
• The Cat in the Rain: This central symbol represents the American woman’s feelings of vulnerability, neglect, and her longing for affection. It also signifies a perceived lost opportunity for happiness.

Noteworthy Imagery

An example of imagery is the description: “His desk was at the far end of the office. He was an old man and very tall.” This creates a clear visual of the hotel-keeper.

Prevailing Tone

The tone from the beginning is tense and melancholic, underscored by the persistent rain. The dialogues reveal a conflict between the couple; they show little genuine affection or concern for each other's feelings.

Hughes' 'Thank You, M'am' Analysis

Plot Summary

The story is about a boy named Roger who attempts to snatch a purse from a large woman, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Instead of turning him over to the police, she takes him to her home, feeds him, and teaches him a lesson in trust and dignity.

Setting Details

The setting is a street at night, where Mrs. Jones was walking alone when the initial incident occurred.

Noteworthy Imagery

An example of imagery is the description of Mrs. Jones: “She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but a hammer and nails.”

Comparing 'Cat in the Rain' & 'Thank You, M'am'

Both stories explore contexts of acceptance and the need to feel valued. The main characters (the American woman in "Cat in the Rain" and Roger in "Thank You, M'am") project their desires and feelings onto an external subject: the woman onto the cat, and the child onto the wish for blue suede shoes, which represents a deeper longing for dignity and belonging.

Connell's 'The Most Dangerous Game' Analysis

Foreshadowing Elements

When Rainsford and Whitney are on the boat, Rainsford hears the scream of an animal he has never heard before. Later, we discover that the scream was not from an animal but a human, foreshadowing the nature of the hunt on the island.

Rising Action

The rising action intensifies when Rainsford, hidden in the forest, is being hunted by General Zaroff.

Setting Details

• Place: The story is set on "Ship-Trap Island," a mysterious and ominous location in the Caribbean, strategically positioned to ensnare ships.
• Time: The story likely takes place in the 1920s. This is inferred from General Zaroff's revelation that he is a Cossack who had to leave Russia after the fall of the Czar (which occurred around 1917).

Key Symbols

One significant symbol could be the gun, representing both the power of life and death, and the core conflict of hunter versus hunted.

Noteworthy Imagery

The lights of Zaroff's chateau are described as a lure for sailors, indicating safety and hospitality. However, this is a deceptive illusion, as the chateau is, in fact, a trap to catch prey for Zaroff's hunt.