Some well - known American literature short stories include 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It's a heartwarming tale about a young couple who sacrifice their most precious possessions for each other. Another is 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe, which is filled with a sense of mystery and dread as the narrator visits his friend in a decaying mansion. Also, 'Rip Van Winkle' by Washington Irving, which tells the story of a man who falls asleep for 20 years and wakes up to a very different world.
One characteristic is their diversity in themes. They can cover love like in 'The Gift of the Magi', or madness as in 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. Another is the use of vivid language. American short story writers often use rich descriptions to bring their settings and characters to life. For instance, Poe's stories are full of detailed and often eerie descriptions.
There are others too. Jack London, for example, who wrote about adventure and the struggle against nature. William Faulkner, whose short stories, like 'A Rose for Emily', are complex and rich in Southern atmosphere. Stephen Crane, with his vivid descriptions of life - threatening situations in stories such as 'The Open Boat'.
Well, there's 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce. This story has a very interesting plot structure that plays with the reader's perception of time. Additionally, Hemingway's 'Hills Like White Elephants' is famous. It's a short but powerful story that mainly consists of a conversation between a man and a woman at a train station, with much left unsaid but strongly implied about their relationship and a difficult decision they face.
There are many masterpieces in American literature, and the following are some of them:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Catcher in the Rye (The Catcher in the Rye)
The Great Gatsby
4 1984(1984)
Sherlock Holmes
"Gatsby" from The Great Gatsby
Seven hundred years of solitude (One hundred years of solitude)
8 Jane Eyre
The Great Gatsby
The War and Peace
These are just a few of them. There are many other famous works of American literature.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is famous for 'The Great Gatsby'. His writing style is elegant and captures the essence of the Jazz Age. John Steinbeck, who wrote 'Of Mice and Men', is well - known for his portrayals of the working class. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of 'The Scarlet Letter', is recognized for his exploration of Puritan themes.
His short stories added a unique African - American perspective. For example, in 'Thank You, Ma'am', he showed the real - life situations and emotions of black people, which was not common in mainstream literature at that time.
Sure. 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe is a well - known one. It's a story of revenge and features a very dark and claustrophobic setting in the catacombs. Another is 'Young Goodman Brown' by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It delves into themes of faith and the discovery of the dark side of humanity. And then there's 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which is a great example of how psychological horror can be portrayed through the eyes of a female protagonist.
To Kill a Mockingbird is another famous American story. Set in the racially divided South, it follows the story of Scout Finch and her father, Atticus, a lawyer who defends a black man wrongly accused of rape. It is a powerful exploration of racism, justice, and moral growth in America.
The recommended famous literary short stories included Lu Xun's Kong Yiji and Shi Tiesheng's Life is Like a String. Kong Yiji was one of Lu Xun's favorite short stories, and it was also the pinnacle of short stories in China and even the world. Through a very full artistic image of Kong Yiji, this novel expressed the tragedy of the intellectual of that era and the tragedy of an era. Shi Tiesheng's Life Like a String was also a famous short story. It described the persistence and struggle of a person in a wheelchair in life. These short stories attracted readers with simple plots and wonderful character descriptions, showing a certain side of life, giving people inspiration and thinking.