Another aim could be to explore human nature. Short stories often dig into the complexity of human behavior. For example, stories might show how people react under pressure or in difficult situations, such as a character's response when faced with a moral dilemma in a short, confined setting.
The aim might also be to preserve a culture or a certain way of life. Some short stories are set in specific cultural backgrounds and through their descriptions of traditions, beliefs, and daily life, they keep that culture alive in the reader's mind.
Sure. In 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad, Marlow's journey up the Congo River is the main story, but within his narration, he tells the story of Kurtz. Kurtz's story, which includes his descent into madness and his strange and powerful influence in the Congo, is a story within the larger story of Marlow's exploration. It helps to deepen the understanding of the themes like colonialism and the human psyche in the context of the main plot.
She left. He never recovered.
Sure. 'A Sound of Thunder' by Ray Bradbury is a great example. It's a science - fiction short story that explores the concept of time travel and the consequences of small actions. 'Hills Like White Elephants' by Ernest Hemingway is also popular. It's a minimalist story that leaves a lot to the reader's interpretation, mainly dealing with the relationship between a man and a woman.
Well, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' by Julius Caesar is a great example. It's a very short quote that tells the story of his military victories. And then there's 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. This quote sets the stage for the complex story of the French Revolution and its impact on different classes of people.
One funny plot could be a cat who thinks it's a dog. It chases cars, barks at the mailman (in its own cat way), and tries to play fetch with a ball of yarn. Another is a clumsy wizard who always makes his spells go wrong. For instance, when he tries to make a flower bloom, it turns into a giant, talking broccoli that scolds him for his mistake. And a third could be about a group of ants who hold a tiny Olympics in an ant hill, complete with ant-sized hurdles and weightlifting (a crumb of bread).
The moon is a classic symbol. It can signify change, mystery, and the passage of time. In a short story, the moon could be waxing as the main character's situation is improving, or waning as things start to go wrong.
Sure. One example is 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy. It weaves two timelines together, one in the present and one in the past, to tell the story of a family in Kerala. Another is 'Life of Pi' which has the dual narratives of Pi's real - life survival story and the more fantastical version he tells.
Well, take the short story 'The Necklace'. A simile in it could be 'She was like a child lost in a fair.' This shows her confusion and helplessness. As for metaphor, 'The necklace was a chain of dreams and illusions.' It implies that the necklace represented false hopes and illusions for the main character.
One of the best themes is 'the search for identity'. In many short stories, characters are on a journey to figure out who they are. For instance, in 'Araby' by James Joyce, the young boy is on a quest to buy a gift for the girl he likes, but through this journey, he also discovers more about his own desires and his place in the world.