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Great American Short Stories cover
Archivist's Choice

Great American Short Stories

Paul Negri (2012)

Genre

Fiction

Reading Time

12 Minutes

Key Themes

See below

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This anthology traces the American short story from Hawthorne's Puritan allegory to Hemingway's stark realism, covering a century of literary titans grappling with morality, identity, and the human condition.

Synopsis

This anthology, "Great American Short Stories," compiles 19 seminal works from the American short-story tradition, spanning a century of literary evolution from 1835 to 1927. It presents a diverse array of narrative styles and themes through the eyes of some of America's most distinguished authors, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Henry James, Jack London, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. The collection offers readers a journey through classic American literature, exploring moral dilemmas, societal critiques, adventures, psychological thrillers, and character studies that have shaped the genre. The book serves as an excellent introduction to the short story as an art form and a historical snapshot of American cultural and literary concerns across the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each story stands as a testament to its author's unique voice and contribution to the literary canon, making the collection a valuable resource for both students and general readers interested in the foundational works of American fiction.
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Thought-provoking, classic, diverse, reflective

Plot Summary

Young Goodman Brown's Temptation

Young Goodman Brown, a newly married Puritan, says goodbye to his wife, Faith, and goes into the forest for a secret, possibly wrong, reason. Deep in the woods, he meets a mysterious man, who seems to be the Devil. This figure reveals that many respected community members, including Brown's family and Faith, are involved in dark, unholy practices. Brown sees townspeople, both living and dead, at a satanic gathering. He urges Faith to resist, but he is unsure if her cry was real. He wakes up in his bed, back in the village, but the experience has permanently changed how he sees his community and his faith. He lives the rest of his life as a bitter, distrustful man.

The Tell-Tale Heart's Confession

The unnamed narrator, a careful and seemingly sane man, plans to murder an old man with a 'vulture eye' he finds disturbing. He insists he is sane while describing his careful, week-long preparations, creeping into the old man's room each night. On the eighth night, he kills the old man by suffocating him, then dismembers the body and hides the parts under the floorboards. When police arrive to investigate a neighbor's report of a shriek, the narrator confidently invites them in, believing his crime is perfect. However, he begins to hear a persistent, growing thumping sound, which he believes is the old man's beating heart, driving him to confess.

Bartleby, the Scrivener's Refusal

A Wall Street lawyer hires Bartleby, a new scrivener, for his office. At first, Bartleby is an excellent and diligent worker. Soon, though, he starts responding to requests with, 'I would prefer not to.' This refusal gradually extends to all tasks, including copying, proofreading, and eventually even leaving the office. The lawyer, a man who likes quiet and avoids trouble, becomes increasingly confused and bothered by Bartleby's passive resistance. He tries to understand and help Bartleby, but his efforts meet the same polite, firm refusal. Eventually, the lawyer moves his office, leaving Bartleby behind. Bartleby is later arrested for vagrancy and dies in prison, holding onto his preference for inaction.

The Luck of Roaring Camp's Paradox

Roaring Camp, a lawless, isolated gold mining settlement in the Sierra Nevada, is disrupted when one of its few women, Cherokee Sal, gives birth to a baby boy and then dies. The miners, unused to such an event, decide to adopt the infant, whom they name 'The Luck.' Surprisingly, the child's presence begins to civilize the camp. The miners clean up their language, appearance, and surroundings, driven by a new sense of responsibility and tenderness. They even send for a nurse and new furniture. However, a devastating flood sweeps through the camp. Kentuck, one of the most devoted miners, is found dead, clutching The Luck's lifeless body, tragically ending their brief period of refinement.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge's Illusion

Peyton Farquhar, a civilian and Confederate sympathizer, stands on a railroad bridge, about to be hanged by Union soldiers. The story details his final thoughts and sensory perceptions. Suddenly, the rope breaks, and he falls into the water, freeing his hands and swimming away, dodging bullets. He makes his way through the forest, experiencing heightened senses and a desperate urge to reach his home and family. He finally arrives at his house, sees his wife, and is about to embrace her when he feels a sharp blow to his neck and sees a blinding white light. The narrative then reveals that his escape was a vivid hallucination in his last moments. He is dead, his body swinging beneath Owl Creek Bridge.

To Build a Fire's Fatal Miscalculation

A nameless man, new to the Yukon territory, tries to travel alone on a brutally cold, minus 75-degree Fahrenheit day, despite warnings from an old-timer about the dangers of solo travel in such conditions. Accompanied only by a native husky, the man is confident in his abilities and dismisses the extreme cold. He repeatedly falls through thin ice, getting his clothing wet, and struggles to build a fire to dry himself and warm up. His first fire is put out by snow falling from a tree. Subsequent attempts are hindered by frostbitten hands and dwindling matches. As his body gives in to the cold, he makes desperate, futile attempts to kill his dog for warmth and then to run, ultimately freezing to death. The dog, sensing the man's death, leaves to find warmth and food.

The Real Thing's Artistic Struggle

An unnamed illustrator, who specializes in society portraits for magazines, hires Major and Mrs. Monarch, an impoverished aristocratic couple, to model for his high society illustrations. The Monarchs are genuinely refined and elegant, believing their authenticity will be valuable to the artist. However, the illustrator soon discovers a problem: their very 'realness' makes them unsuitable as models. They lack the versatility and expressiveness needed for different characters and emotions. Their static, unchanging perfection makes his drawings stiff and lifeless. He finds more success with his common, adaptable Italian model, Miss Churm, and a street urchin. Ultimately, he is forced to let the Monarchs go, showing the difference between reality and artistic representation.

The Storm's Passionate Interlude

Calixta, a married woman, is at home with her young son, Bibi, when a violent Louisiana storm breaks out. Her husband, Bobinôt, and their other son, Alcée, are caught outside and take shelter at a general store. Alcée Laballière, a former lover of Calixta, rides up to her house seeking shelter from the downpour. As the storm rages outside, a passionate and intense encounter unfolds between Calixta and Alcée. Their long-suppressed desires erupt, and they have a brief but fervent sexual encounter. After the storm passes, they part ways, seemingly without regret or consequence. Bobinôt and Alcée return home, none the wiser. The story concludes with a sense of natural, almost innocent, fulfillment for all involved, particularly Calixta.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair's Social Experiment

Bernice, a socially awkward and plain girl, visits her popular, manipulative cousin, Marjorie Harvey, for the summer. Bernice is a social failure, and Marjorie, exasperated, decides to help her. Marjorie teaches Bernice how to flirt, make witty conversation, and attract male attention, using the threat of 'bobbing her hair' as a tantalizing, yet forbidden, social move. Bernice, following Marjorie's advice, becomes surprisingly popular, even attracting Marjorie's admirer, Warren. Encouraged by her newfound success, Bernice genuinely says she intends to bob her hair, which was meant to be a bluff. Marjorie, feeling upstaged and betrayed, takes her revenge. In a final act of spite, Bernice cuts off Marjorie's braids while she sleeps, leaving them on Warren's porch.

The Killers' Unsettling Visit

Two professional hitmen, Al and Max, arrive in a small diner in Summit, Illinois, asking for a boxer named Ole Andreson. They reveal their intention to kill him. George, the diner owner, and Nick Adams, a customer, are held at gunpoint while the hitmen wait. Sam, the cook, is tied up in the kitchen. When Andreson doesn't show up, the hitmen leave, warning George not to inform the police. Nick, disturbed by the encounter, goes to warn Andreson, who is found lying in his room, resigned to his fate and unwilling to flee. Nick, unsettled by Andreson's passive acceptance of death, decides to leave Summit, unable to understand such fatalism. The story ends with Nick's departure, showing the widespread nature of violence and its victims' unsettling indifference.

Principal Figures

Young Goodman Brown

The Protagonist

Brown transforms from a naive, faithful Puritan into a bitter, distrustful man haunted by his perceived encounter with evil.

Narrator (The Tell-Tale Heart)

The Protagonist/Antagonist

From a seemingly rational, calculating murderer, he descends into a frenzied, guilt-ridden confessor.

Bartleby

The Supporting

Bartleby remains static in his refusal, serving as a catalyst for the lawyer's introspection and ultimately dying unchanged.

The Lawyer (Bartleby)

The Protagonist

The lawyer's complacent existence is disrupted by Bartleby, forcing him to confront the limits of his empathy and understanding.

Peyton Farquhar

The Protagonist

Farquhar's physical reality ends in execution, but his internal journey is a desperate, illusory escape.

The Man (To Build a Fire)

The Protagonist

The man's initial overconfidence is slowly eroded by the unforgiving cold, leading to a desperate and ultimately fatal struggle.

Calixta

The Protagonist

Calixta experiences a brief, passionate reawakening of past desire, which passes as naturally as the storm itself, leaving her content.

Bernice

The Protagonist

Bernice evolves from an awkward wallflower to a socially adept, though ultimately manipulative and vengeful, young woman.

Marjorie Harvey

The Antagonist

Marjorie's initial dominance is briefly challenged by Bernice's transformation, leading her to exact revenge and reassert her social control.

Nick Adams

The Protagonist

Nick moves from a state of relative innocence and curiosity to a profound disillusionment with the world's violence and indifference.

Themes & Insights

The Dangers of Human Hubris vs. Nature

This theme explores the fatal results of human arrogance and overconfidence when facing the immense, indifferent power of nature. Characters who underestimate or disrespect nature's forces, relying only on their intellect or perceived superiority, often meet tragic ends. The wilderness is an impartial judge, showing the limits of human control and the need for humility, experience, and respect for one's environment. This theme often highlights survival through adaptation and understanding one's place within the ecosystem.

“The trouble with him was that he was not able to think about it. He was a newcomer to the land, and this was his first winter. The old-timer on Sulphur Creek had told him that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below zero. But he had laughed at him.”

— To Build a Fire

Appearance vs. Reality

This theme explores how outward appearances can deceive, often contrasting sharply with underlying truths. Characters and situations are frequently not what they seem, leading to misunderstandings, disillusionment, or tragic outcomes. Whether it is hidden corruption beneath piety, the facade of sanity masking madness, or the artistic struggle between genuine article and effective representation, this theme questions how reliable perception is. It forces readers to look beyond the surface and consider the complex, often unsettling, realities beneath societal norms and personal presentations.

“He lived in the world, and was not of it. He was a being of no common order, and his nature was a riddle to the lawyer.”

— Bartleby, the Scrivener

The Corrupting Influence of Society

This theme examines how societal pressures, expectations, and moral frameworks can lead to hypocrisy, oppression, or a loss of individual integrity. It often critiques the superficiality of social conventions, the dangers of mob mentality, or how institutions can dehumanize individuals. Characters may conform to destructive norms, become complicit in injustice, or be ostracized for not fitting in. The theme suggests that society, despite its claims of order and progress, can be a source of deep moral decay and personal suffering, forcing individuals to confront uncomfortable truths about their communities.

“And, as he spoke, he pointed his staff at a man who was approaching through the twilight, with a slow and solemn pace, as if he were on his way to a funeral. It was good old Deacon Gookin, a very pious and exemplary member of the church.”

— Young Goodman Brown

The Nature of Good and Evil

This theme explores the inherent struggle between good and evil, often questioning clear distinctions and examining their presence within individuals and society. It explores the sources of moral corruption, the allure of temptation, and the psychological impact of engaging with malevolence. Stories often present situations where characters must confront their own capacity for darkness or witness the blurred lines between virtue and vice in others. This theme frequently suggests that evil is not always an external force but can reside within the human heart, appearing in forms from subtle hypocrisy to overt violence.

“It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.”

— The Tell-Tale Heart

Plot Devices & Literary Techniques

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised.

This device involves a narrator whose account of events cannot be fully trusted due to their mental state, biases, limited perspective, or deliberate deception. The unreliable narrator often provides a skewed or distorted version of reality, forcing the reader to question what is actually happening and to piece together the truth from subtle clues. This technique creates suspense, adds layers of psychological complexity, and highlights themes of perception, madness, and the subjective nature of truth. It often serves to immerse the reader in the narrator's flawed perspective, making the experience more unsettling and thought-provoking.

Symbolism

Objects or ideas representing deeper meanings.

Symbolism is the use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often a more abstract or profound concept. This device enriches the narrative by adding layers of meaning beyond the literal. For instance, the forest in 'Young Goodman Brown' symbolizes the realm of temptation and hidden sin, while Faith's pink ribbons represent innocence and purity. In 'To Build a Fire,' the fire itself symbolizes life and survival, while the extreme cold represents indifferent nature. Symbolism allows authors to convey complex ideas concisely and evoke powerful emotional responses, inviting readers to interpret and engage more deeply with the text's themes.

Foreshadowing

Hints of future events.

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author subtly hints at future events or outcomes in the story. These hints can be direct statements, symbolic imagery, character dialogue, or atmospheric descriptions that create a sense of anticipation or unease. In 'To Build a Fire,' the old-timer's warning about not traveling alone is a clear example. In 'The Tell-Tale Heart,' the narrator's meticulous planning and repeated declarations of sanity ironically foreshadow his eventual breakdown. Foreshadowing builds suspense, prepares the reader for later developments, and adds a sense of inevitability or irony to the narrative, making the plot feel more cohesive.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Irony is a literary device that involves a contrast or incongruity between what is said and what is actually meant (verbal irony), what appears to be happening and what actually happens (situational irony), or what the audience knows versus what a character knows (dramatic irony). In 'The Luck of Roaring Camp,' the rough miners becoming civilized by a baby is situational irony. In 'The Real Thing,' the 'real thing' models proving unsuitable for artistic representation is also situational irony. Irony often adds humor, pathos, or a critical edge to the narrative, highlighting the complexities and contradictions of human experience and societal norms.

Critical analysis

Notable Quotes

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This book is a compilation of 19 of the finest short stories from distinguished American writers. It spans a century of American short fiction, starting with Nathaniel Hawthorne and ending with Ernest Hemingway.

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