Short Stories

Model Selection: Short Story

​Model Selection: Short Story

The plot of a short story is the series of related events that take place in the course of the story. At the core of a story’s plot is usually a conflict, or struggle. The conflict may be external, in which case it features a clash between the main character and another character, between the main character and a group or society as a whole, or between the main character and a force of nature. If the conflict is internal, the struggle takes place within the character’s mind.

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​Model Selection: Short Story

The conflicts in a story typically build to a climax, or turning point. The events following the climax make up the outcome of the story, or the resolution.

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​Model Selection: Short Story

Writers of short stories use methods of characterization to show what the characters are like. For example, writers may describe the characters’ appearance and actions, quote their words, show them interacting with other characters, and describe their thoughts and feelings.

​Model Selection: Short Story

Another essential element of a short story is its setting. The setting is the time and place of the action. It may be general or specific, and it may include the social, economic, or cultural environment. Sometimes, the setting contributes to the atmosphere, or overall emotional mood, of a story. Sometimes, the setting creates a conflict.​

​Model Selection: Short Story

A story’s theme is its central message or insight about life. A stated theme is directly expressed by the writer. An implied theme is suggested by the characters’ experiences, the setting, the author’s tone or attitude, and/or the style of the work as a whole.

Multiple Choice

To which category of literature do short stories belong?

• nonfiction

• drama

• epic

• fiction

Multiple Choice

Which of the following most accurately identifies the usual length of a short story?

• 100 to 200 words

• 200 to 1,000 words

• 500 to 10,000 words

• 50,000 to 100,000 words

Multiple Choice

On which of the following does the plot of a short story usually focus?

• the point of view

• the conflict

• the characters

• the setting

Multiple Choice

Which of the following correctly identifies a struggle between a character and a force of nature in a work of literature?

• plot

• suspense

• external conflict

• implied theme

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the setting of “The Jade Peony”?

• Honan, China

• Vancouver, Canada

• San Francisco’s Chinatown

• New York City’s Chinatown

Multiple Choice

Who is the central character in “The Jade Peony”?

• the father

• the narrator’s sister

• the juggler

• Grandmama

Multiple Choice

According to the narrator of “The Jade Peony,” what quality in Grandmama’s personality did her hands vividly convey?

• love

• endurance

• talent

• humor

Multiple Choice

In “The Jade Peony,” why do Grandmama’s expeditions to find material for her wind chimes cause tension in the family?

• The family is afraid that Grandmama is wasting money.

• The family is concerned about what the neighbors will think.

• The family believes that Grandmama is risking her health.

• The family believes that the expeditions make Grandmama nervous.

Multiple Choice

In “The Jade Peony,” with what does Grandmama associate her Good Fortune pendant?

• the white cat

• a perfect square of pink silk

• her son’s job at the newspaper

• her memories of a long-lost love

Multiple Choice

According to “The Jade Peony,” what will Grandmama’s last wind chime do after her death?

• signal the start of her funeral

• call her ghost to hear it and return

• send a sign to the juggler

• comfort the family in their grief

Multiple Choice

How does Grandmama interpret the sudden appearance of the white cat toward the end of “The Jade Peony”?

• She sees it as an evil omen.

• She realizes that it must be very hungry.

• She believes that it has stolen material she needs for her wind chimes.

• She sees it as a sign that the juggler has returned to her and that she will soon die.

Multiple Choice

In “The Jade Peony,” what does the appearance of the white cat represent?

• the setting

• characterization

• the climax

• a stated theme

Multiple Choice

In “The Jade Peony,” what causes Grandmama’s death?

• a heart attack

• a bad fall

• complications of pneumonia

• a broken heart

Multiple Choice

Which of the following most reasonably identifies the theme, or central message, of “The Jade Peony”?

• Despite the love that family members have for one another, conflicts may occur.

• Growing up in a large family can be frustrating, especially for adolescents.

• Love creates powerful bonds that can outweigh loss, suffering, and even death.

• We must never lose sight of the beauty and grace in the world and in our lives.