Well, they often had a strong sense of moral instruction. 19th - century society placed great importance on propriety and morality, and women writers in their short stories would convey these values. Also, the language was usually quite refined. Writers were well - educated and their works reflected this, with elegant prose. And a lot of the stories centered around themes of love and marriage, as these were the main aspects of a woman's life at that time.
The 20th century Jewish short stories are often marked by a sense of displacement. With the diaspora and the upheavals of the century such as the Holocaust, many stories centered around the feeling of being uprooted from one's homeland. They also tend to have strong family themes. Family relationships were central in Jewish culture, and these stories showed how families coped with the changing times, whether it was economic hardships or social changes.
The 20th - century English short stories are known for their realism. They depict the real - life situations of different classes of society quite vividly. Some stories focus on the working - class struggles, while others on the upper - class decadence. Moreover, the language used in these stories can be very rich and varied. Writers were no longer restricted to the formal language of the past and incorporated colloquialisms and regional dialects. This made the stories more accessible to a wider range of readers.
Katherine Mansfield. Her stories often focus on the inner lives of women, with a delicate and nuanced writing style.
One of the well - known 18th - century short stories is 'The Rape of the Lock' by Alexander Pope. It's a mock - epic that humorously depicts the social scene of the time, focusing on a petty quarrel over a lock of hair. Another is 'The Devil and Tom Walker' by Washington Irving. It tells the story of a man who makes a deal with the devil. And then there's 'The Spectre - Bridegroom' by Washington Irving as well, which is a spooky and engaging short story.
Well, 'A Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner is a great 20th century short story. It tells the story of a reclusive woman in the South. Also, 'Hills Like White Elephants' by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway's sparse style really shines in this story about a couple having a tense conversation. There are many more, like Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' which is about a man who wakes up transformed into a giant insect.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown' is also a significant 19th - century short story. It explores themes of faith, sin, and the nature of humanity. The story follows Goodman Brown as he ventures into the forest one night and has a series of disturbing encounters that make him question the goodness of his community and his own faith. Additionally, Guy de Maupassant's 'The Necklace' is well - known. It's about a woman who borrows a diamond necklace to attend a high - society event, loses it, and spends years in poverty trying to replace it, only to find out at the end that the original necklace was a fake.
One notable feature is the detailed social commentary. For example, in Charles Dickens' novels like 'Oliver Twist', he vividly depicted the harsh living conditions of the poor in 19th - century London. Another feature is the complex character development. Novels often had characters that grew and changed over the course of the story, such as in Jane Austen's works where her female characters often had to navigate through social and romantic challenges, which in turn led to their personal growth. Also, the use of elaborate language was common. Writers took their time to describe scenes, emotions, and characters in great detail, which added to the richness of the novels.
One notable feature is the development of the novel as a distinct literary form. Many 18th - century novels focused on the individual's experience in society. For example, 'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe explored themes of survival and self - reliance. Also, the language in these novels was becoming more accessible to a wider range of readers compared to earlier literary works. Another aspect was the exploration of social classes and the emerging middle class, which was reflected in novels like 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, where the interactions between different social strata were a central part of the story.
One of the well - known ones is 'Harrison Bergeron' by Kurt Vonnegut. It shows a society where everyone is made equal in the most extreme and absurd ways through handicaps. Another is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, which depicts a small town with a disturbing annual tradition. And George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' (although it can be considered a novella) is also important, as it uses animals to satirize totalitarian regimes in a dystopian context.
Some great 20th - century horror short stories include Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery'. In this story, a small town has an annual lottery, but it's not what one would expect. The twist at the end is quite horrifying. Also, Richard Matheson's 'Prey' is a chilling story. It involves a small, malevolent doll that terrorizes a woman, playing on the fear of the unknown and the idea of something small being very dangerous.