Exposition on the Short Story Genre

Prompt: Exposition on the Short Story Genre

Exposition on the Short Story Genre

I. Standard Outline for Exposition on the Short Story Genre

1. Introduction

Concisely introduce the short story genre

2. Body of the Essay

- Concept of Short Stories:
+ Small-scale autobiographical form
+ Focus on describing an event, action, or character.

- Characteristics of Short Stories:
+ Short length
+ Few events, characters
+ Story unfolds in a limited time and space.
+ Does not narrate an entire life process, but focuses on a period, a moment to convey profound content and meaning.

- Significance: Profound existential and societal significance.

3. Conclusion

Concise overview of personal reflections

II. Standard Sample Essay on the Short Story Genre

Every literary work is the crystallization of creativity, talent, and intellect of the artist. To convey ideas to readers, each author chooses their own form—some opt for poetry, others for novels, and many select the short story genre.

Short stories are a small autobiographical genre where authors directly or indirectly use characters to recount destinies, lives, events, or issues, expressing attitudes, perspectives, and providing readers with experiences and lessons.

Many writers choose short stories to nurture their talents and ideas due to the compact nature, few characters, often focusing on one aspect, a few characters, and small events. For instance, Nam Cao's short story 'Old Hạc' vividly depicts the emotional changes of Old Hạc after selling his grandson Vàng, or in 'The Last Leaf,' the story revolves around Giôn-xi's attitude towards life through the last leaves of spring.

The space and time of short stories are not as extensive as novels but are usually confined. Authors often choose a moment, an event, or even a fleeting moment to present content and ideas. For example, in the short story 'I Go to School,' Thanh Tịnh chose the time of the first day of school and the space of home and school.

Short stories often focus on describing an aspect of life, an event, or some occurrence in a character's life. Through actions and words, short story authors highlight the character's personality, reflecting more deeply than just the good or limitations of contemporary society. For example, in the tragic life of Old Hạc, especially the act of eating dog meat, Nam Cao not only praises the rich character of Old Hạc but also condemns and criticizes the society of the time that pushed people to such extremes.

Another notable feature of short stories is the plot. Short story plots often gather sequential events and situations that impact each other to build up the conflicts and tragedies of the characters to a climax, forcing them to make choices and resolutions. In 'Old Hạc,' faced with two choices: continue spending money for his grandson's upkeep or live in poverty, losing himself and causing trouble for neighbors, Old Hạc chose death to protect his dignity and fulfill the responsibilities of a father.

Despite the small capacity of short stories and their inability to narrate the entire life process, they possess the ability to convey profound insights. Through a life, a tragedy, or an action in a short story, the author can encapsulate realities in society and human life, providing readers with profound experiences.

Short stories have undergone a resilient development process, originating from the early days when humans began literary creation. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that short stories had a strong foundation for development and created significant echoes.

In Vietnam, short stories began to flourish in the early twenties of the 20th century with contributions from prominent writers such as Nguyễn Bá Học, Hồ Biểu Chánh, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Thạch Lam...