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How do short stories create a single effect for readers?
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short story
American editor and anthologist Clifton Fadiman discusses the elements of a short story, 1980. The video features clips from EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica Educational Corporation's dramatizations of O. Henry's âThe Gift of the Magi,â Guy de Maupassant's âThe Necklace,â and H.G. Wells's âThe Magic Shop.â
In the context of literature, the short story achieves a single effect through deliberate craftsmanship and artistic economy.12
As articulated by Edgar Allan Poe, a writer establishes this unity of effect by first conceiving a specific, pre-established design or mood. Once this goal is determined, the author meticulously selects and arranges every incident, event, and word to serve that singular purpose.12
Key principles of this technique include:
- Intentionality: The author does not allow incidents to dictate the story; instead, they invent events specifically to support the intended effect.2
- Structural Rigor: The process begins with the very first sentence, which must immediately contribute to the final design.2
- Economy of Language: Every word in the composition must have a direct or indirect tendency toward the established goal, ensuring that no extraneous elements distract from the intended impact.2
By prioritizing this unity, the short story often focuses more on the creation of a specific mood or impression rather than a complex, expansive plot.12