How does Stegner define or categorize 'greatness' in the context of these American short stories?

Stegner's definition of 'greatness' appears to encompass both historical significance and enduring literary quality. He selects stories that either pioneered new techniques, captured a particular era's zeitgeist, or achieved a timeless resonance through their character development and thematic depth. The collection implies that 'greatness' often involves a story's ability to reflect or shape the national consciousness.

Are there specific regional or historical periods that Stegner emphasizes more heavily in this collection?

The collection broadly covers the span of American literary history, moving from 19th-century frontier tales to mid-20th-century urban and suburban narratives. While not strictly confined to regions, stories often reflect their geographical origins, such as Southern Gothic, New England realism, or Western expansion narratives. The historical progression is a key organizing principle, demonstrating the genre's adaptation to different eras.

What kind of introduction or commentary does Stegner provide for the stories?

Stegner provides insightful introductions to the collection as a whole and often brief, illuminating notes for individual stories or sections. These commentaries typically contextualize the author and their work within the broader historical and literary landscape, highlighting their contributions to the short story form and offering critical perspectives that guide the reader's understanding. He acts as both curator and literary critic.

Does Stegner include any of his own short stories in this anthology?

While Stegner himself was an accomplished short story writer, this particular collection, "Great American Short Stories," is curated by him and focuses on the works of other notable American authors. His role is that of editor and commentator, not a contributor of his own fiction within the main body of the anthology. His own stories would be found in separate collections of his work.

How does the inclusion of early humorous legends like those by Mark Twain or Bret Harte set the stage for later, more complex works?

The early humorous legends, often characterized by colloquial language and regional eccentricities, establish a distinctively American voice and a focus on character-driven narrative, even if simplistic. They introduce themes of individualism and the American experience, which are later explored with greater psychological depth and moral ambiguity by authors like Hemingway or Faulkner. This progression showcases the evolution from anecdote to nuanced art.

What recurring motifs or symbols can be observed across different eras of stories in the collection?

Recurring motifs often include the struggle between individual freedom and societal constraints, the search for identity in a vast landscape, the disillusionment with the American Dream, and the impact of nature on human psychology. Symbols like the frontier, the isolated homestead, the bustling city, and specific regional flora or fauna often appear, adapting their meaning to the evolving historical context. The journey, both physical and metaphorical, is also a constant.

How do the character archetypes evolve from the 19th-century 'rugged individual' to the 20th-century 'alienated urbanite'?

The 19th-century 'rugged individual' often embodies self-reliance, resourcefulness, and a connection to nature, facing external challenges with pragmatic grit. As the collection progresses, characters become more introspective and internally conflicted. The 'alienated urbanite' frequently struggles with existential angst, social isolation, and a sense of disconnection from traditional values, reflecting the complexities and anxieties of modern industrial society. This shift highlights a move from external conflict to internal psychological drama.

Are there subtle stylistic connections between authors from different periods that Stegner hints at?

Stegner often implicitly or explicitly draws connections between authors by highlighting their shared thematic concerns or narrative innovations. For instance, he might note how a certain realism developed by a 19th-century writer laid groundwork for the more stark verisimilitude of a 20th-century author, or how a focus on dialect evolved into sophisticated interior monologue. These connections reveal a continuous thread of literary experimentation and influence across generations.

How does the psychological depth of characters change from earlier to later stories in the anthology?

Early stories often present characters with clear motivations and external conflicts, their psychology largely inferred from their actions. As the anthology progresses, authors delve into complex interior monologues, unreliable narration, and nuanced emotional states, revealing characters' subconscious drives, anxieties, and moral ambiguities. This shift reflects a growing literary interest in Freudian concepts and the complexities of human consciousness, moving beyond simple heroism or villainy.

What psychological impact do the settings (e.g., frontier, small town, city) have on the characters across different stories?

Settings profoundly shape character psychology. The frontier often fosters resilience, self-reliance, and sometimes loneliness or paranoia due to isolation. The small town can induce claustrophobia, conformity, or a deep sense of community and tradition, influencing characters' moral frameworks. The city frequently breeds anonymity, alienation, ambition, and a sense of being overwhelmed, leading to existential crises or a search for meaning in a vast, indifferent landscape. Each setting acts as a psychological crucible.

How do themes of trauma or disillusionment manifest psychologically in the characters of the post-WWI/WWII stories?

In post-WWI/WWII stories, characters often exhibit profound psychological scars, manifesting as nihilism, cynicism, or a pervasive sense of loss and meaninglessness. Veterans like those in Hemingway's stories might display emotional detachment, an inability to reconnect with civilian life, or a reliance on ritual to cope with trauma. Women characters often grapple with societal expectations, personal grief, and a yearning for agency in a changed world, reflecting widespread societal disillusionment.

Are there examples where a character's internal monologue or stream of consciousness significantly alters the reader's psychological understanding?

Yes, particularly in stories from the early to mid-20th century. Authors like William Faulkner or Virginia Woolf (if an American contemporary is included) utilize stream of consciousness to immerse the reader directly into a character's fragmented thoughts, memories, and perceptions. This technique reveals deep-seated anxieties, unspoken desires, and the often-irrational workings of the mind, providing a far more intricate psychological portrait than external description alone could achieve. It challenges the reader to piece together meaning.

Which story, or type of story, might be considered the most 'American' in its themes and why?

While subjective, a strong case could be made for stories that explore themes of individualism, the frontier spirit, the pursuit of the American Dream (and its failures), or the clash between nature and civilization. Stories featuring characters like those in Jack London's wilderness tales or Flannery O'Connor's explorations of Southern religious fervor deeply embed themselves in distinct American cultural landscapes and philosophical debates, making them quintessentially 'American' in their resonance. The stories that grapple with the nation's identity and contradictions often feel most 'American'.

How does Stegner's selection implicitly argue for the short story's importance over the novel in certain periods?

Stegner's emphasis on the short story's evolution suggests that it was often the primary vehicle for literary experimentation and capturing immediate social shifts, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its brevity allowed for focused psychological studies, sharp social critiques, and the rapid dissemination of new narrative styles, sometimes making it more agile than the longer, more structurally demanding novel. He implies the short story was a vital laboratory for American literary identity.

Is there a 'missing' type of American short story that one might expect to see but isn't prominently featured in Stegner's collection?

Given the collection's publication era, one might argue for a less prominent representation of diverse voices that gained more recognition later in the 20th century, such as a broader range of African American authors beyond the Harlem Renaissance, or a stronger emphasis on Native American or Asian American narratives. While Stegner aimed for a historical survey, later anthologies often expand the definition of 'American' to include a wider spectrum of cultural experiences. His selection reflects the prevailing literary canon of his time.

How might a contemporary reader's interpretation of these stories differ from that of a reader when the anthology was first published?

A contemporary reader might bring a more critical lens to issues of race, gender, and class, questioning narrative perspectives that were once considered normative. They might also interpret psychological motivations through a modern understanding of trauma or mental health, or analyze environmental themes with greater urgency. Earlier readers might have focused more on moral lessons or historical realism, while today's readers might prioritize deconstruction and intersectionality, leading to different insights and critiques of the same text.

What is Stegner's ultimate message or insight about the 'American character' as revealed through these stories?

Stegner's collection ultimately suggests that the 'American character' is multifaceted and constantly evolving, marked by a tension between fierce individualism and a yearning for community, a pragmatic resilience, and a deep-seated idealism often tempered by disillusionment. He reveals a character shaped by vast landscapes, historical upheavals, and an ongoing quest for identity and meaning, often finding truth in the everyday struggles and triumphs of ordinary people. The stories collectively paint a portrait of a nation in perpetual self-discovery.

Does the collection lean more towards optimistic or pessimistic views of the American experience?

The collection presents a nuanced, rather than strictly optimistic or pessimistic, view. While early stories might contain elements of frontier optimism and a belief in progress, later stories often delve into profound disillusionment, social critique, and the darker aspects of human nature. Stegner provides a realistic portrayal that encompasses both the triumphs and the significant failures, the hopes and the despairs, reflecting a complex and often contradictory American experience. It's a journey from simpler certainties to modern ambiguities.

Archivist's Choice

Great American Short Stories

Name: Great American Short Stories
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3.61 (153 reviews)
ISBN: 9780440330608

Wallace Stegner (1957)

Genre

Fiction

Reading Time

1200 min (approx. 20 hours, highly variable per story)

Key Themes

See below

Track Your Reading

This collection traces the American short story from early folk tales to modern narratives, showing its changing spirit.

Synopsis

This anthology, "Great American Short Stories," follows the American short story from the early 19th century through the mid-20th century, presenting a range of styles and themes. It begins with foundational stories like Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," about a man who sleeps through two decades of history, and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," which explores madness. These stories establish the genre's early ties to folklore, romance, and psychological suspense. The collection then moves into American realism and naturalism with works such as Mark Twain's humorous "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," Ambrose Bierce's Civil War story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," and Stephen Crane's survival tale "The Open Boat," which addresses human vulnerability against nature. Regionalism appears in Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" and Jack London's "To Build a Fire," both set in harsh natural environments. The collection then enters the early 20th century with O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Flannery O'Connor's unsettling "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," which looks at dark aspects of human nature and faith. William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" show the growing complexity and psychological depth of modern American short fiction, often including social critiques. Through these stories, the anthology charts the genre's shift from simple storytelling to a complex art form reflecting America's changing society and mind.

Reading time

1200 min (approx. 20 hours, highly variable per story)

Difficulty

Medium

Pacing

Variable

Mood

Diverse (Humorous, Gothic, Suspenseful, Realistic, Dark, Poignant)

✓ Read this if...

You want a comprehensive, chronological overview of the American short story's development, featuring many canonical works.

✗ Skip this if...

You prefer a single, continuous narrative or are looking for contemporary fiction exclusively.

Plot Summary

Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle, a kind but lazy villager in a pre-Revolutionary War Dutch settlement in the Catskill Mountains, is nagged by his wife, Dame Van Winkle. He prefers hunting, fishing, and telling stories at the village inn over farm work. To escape his wife's scolding, he walks into the mountains with his dog, Wolf. There, he meets a mysterious man in old Dutch clothes carrying a keg. Rip helps the man carry the keg to a hollow, where he finds a group of silent men playing ninepins. After drinking some of their strong liquor, Rip falls into a deep sleep and wakes up twenty years later to a world he barely knows.

The Fall of the House of Usher

The unnamed narrator is called to the remote, decaying mansion of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher. Roderick suffers from a mysterious mental illness, made worse by the similar illness of his twin sister, Madeline. Roderick believes the house itself, with its crumbling appearance and dark pond, has a life that affects his family. As the narrator tries to comfort Roderick, Madeline's condition worsens, and she appears to die. They bury her in a vault inside the house, but Roderick's mental state declines further, marked by extreme sensitivity and fear. The narrator observes the oppressive atmosphere, strange art, and unsettling music Roderick creates, all adding to a sense of impending doom.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

The narrator, asked by a friend, looks for a Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley in a mining camp. Instead, he hears from Simon Wheeler a long, rambling story about Jim Smiley, a man who loved to gamble on anything, from dogfights to chicken fights. Wheeler's story focuses on Smiley's prized frog, Dan'l Webster, whom Smiley trained to jump higher than any other. Smiley is so sure of Dan'l's skills that he bets a stranger forty dollars on a jumping contest. While Smiley gets a frog for the stranger, the stranger fills Dan'l Webster with quail shot, making him unable to jump. The stranger wins the bet, outsmarting Smiley.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Peyton Farquhar, a civilian planter and Confederate supporter, stands on a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama, a noose around his neck, about to be hanged by Union soldiers. As the soldiers prepare, Farquhar's thoughts race, focusing on his family and a strong wish to escape. The plank beneath him is removed, and he falls. The rope breaks, and he plunges into the water below. He unties his bonds, dodges bullets, and swims to shore, escaping his pursuers. He starts a long, hard journey through a dark, unknown forest, driven by the hope of seeing his wife and children. He reaches his home, greeted by his wife, only for the story to abruptly return to reality.

The Open Boat

Four men—the captain, the oiler (Billie), the cook, and the correspondent—are adrift in a small dinghy off the coast of Florida after their steamship, the Commodore, sinks. The captain is hurt but remains calm and gives orders. The oiler and the correspondent take turns rowing, and the cook bails water. They face huge waves, cold, hunger, and tiredness, constantly looking for a lighthouse or a rescue boat. They bond through their shared experience, feeling a deep connection and understanding nature's indifference. Despite their desperate situation, they hold onto hope, discussing their chances of survival and the irony of their plight as they fight the sea.

A White Heron

Sylvia, a shy nine-year-old girl, lives with her grandmother in a remote New England forest, far from city life. She spends her days herding a cow named Mistress Moolly and exploring the woods, growing close to nature. One evening, she meets a charming young ornithologist looking for a rare white heron for his collection. He offers Sylvia ten dollars if she can lead him to the bird's nest. Sylvia is drawn to the hunter and the money, but she also feels a strong need to protect the wild creatures she knows. She finds the heron's nest high in a pine tree, but after a night of thought, she makes a silent choice.

To Build a Fire

A confident but inexperienced man travels alone through the brutal, sub-zero Yukon wilderness, with only his husky for company. He ignores an old-timer's warnings about traveling alone in such conditions. His goal is to reach a mining camp by six o'clock. The man is most concerned about the extreme cold, which he underestimates, relying on his practical skills rather than instinct. He falls through ice, getting his feet wet, and needs a fire to prevent frostbite. His first attempts to build a fire fail when a branch dumps snow on his small flames. As the cold gets worse, his fingers freeze, making it impossible to light matches or gather kindling, leading to a desperate fight for survival against nature.

The Gift of the Magi

Della and Jim Dillingham Young are a young couple in love but struggling financially, living in a small New York City apartment. With Christmas coming, Della wants to buy Jim a good present but only has $1.87. She has one treasure: her long, beautiful hair, which reaches below her knees. Jim owns a cherished gold watch, a family heirloom, but lacks a chain for it. In a selfless act, Della sells her hair to a wig maker for twenty dollars to buy Jim a platinum fob chain for his watch. When Jim comes home, he reveals his own sacrifice: he sold his watch to buy Della a set of ornate combs for her beautiful hair, leaving them both with useless gifts but a deep understanding of their love.

A Rose for Emily

The story tells of the life and death of Emily Grierson, a reclusive spinster from a prominent Southern family, from the townspeople's view. After her father dies, Emily becomes even more isolated. She starts a relationship with Homer Barron, a Northern foreman, but he mysteriously vanishes. The town notices a terrible smell from her house, but nothing is done. Emily becomes a complete recluse, refusing to pay taxes and eventually dying in her old, decaying mansion. After her funeral, the townspeople break down a locked door in her house and find Homer Barron's decaying body in a bed, next to an impression on a pillow and a single strand of Emily's gray hair.

The Lottery

In a small, seemingly perfect American village, the annual lottery is a long-held tradition, looked forward to by the community. On a summer morning, the villagers gather in the town square, children playing, adults chatting. Mr. Summers, the lottery official, arrives with the black wooden box holding the slips of paper. The head of each household draws a slip. Bill Hutchinson draws the marked slip, meaning his family will be in the second stage. Then, each member of the Hutchinson family—Bill, his wife Tessie, and their three children—draws a slip. Tessie Hutchinson protests, saying the drawing was unfair, but her pleas are ignored. She draws the slip with the black spot, and the villagers, including her own family, stone her to death, keeping their brutal tradition.

Barn Burning

Sarty Snopes, a ten-year-old boy, sees his sharecropper father, Abner Snopes, accused of barn burning in a justice-of-the-peace court. Abner is a bitter, violent man who feels constantly wronged by the wealthy landowners he works for, showing his anger through arson. Sarty is torn between his wish for truth and justice and his strong, fearful loyalty to his family. After Abner is told to leave the county, the family moves to another farm. Abner immediately ruins a rug in the new landlord's house and is charged to pay for it. He plans to burn down Major de Spain's barn. Sarty, unable to stand his father's destructive acts any longer, warns de Spain and then runs into the night, hearing gunshots behind him, signaling a clear break from his family.

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

A grandmother, her son Bailey, his wife, and their three children (June Star, John Wesley, and the baby) start a road trip from Georgia to Florida. The grandmother, a meddling and self-righteous woman, tries to convince Bailey to visit an old plantation she remembers in Tennessee instead. She secretly brings her cat, which causes a car accident when it escapes its basket. Stranded on a dirt road, the family is approached by three men, led by The Misfit, a famous escaped convict. The Misfit and his henchmen murder the family one by one. The grandmother tries to appeal to The Misfit's sense of decency and religion, believing she can save them, but her pleas fail. In her last moments, she has a brief, unclear moment of grace before being shot.

Principal Figures

Rip Van Winkle

The Protagonist

Rip transforms from a henpecked husband into a revered village elder, a living relic of the past who finds peace in his new role.

Roderick Usher

The Protagonist/Antagonist (to himself)

Roderick descends further into madness and paranoia, culminating in his and his sister's demise, and the collapse of his ancestral home.

Jim Smiley

The Supporting/Central Figure of the Anecdote

Smiley remains static in his gambling obsession, ultimately being outsmarted.

Peyton Farquhar

The Protagonist

Farquhar's physical reality remains fixed on the gallows, while his psychological arc takes him on a journey of desperate escape and homecoming, only to return to his final moment.

The Correspondent

The Protagonist/Narrator

The Correspondent moves from a detached observer to a participant in a shared human struggle, gaining a profound understanding of life's fragility and the power of brotherhood.

Sylvia

The Protagonist

Sylvia, through her moral choice, solidifies her identity as a protector of nature, choosing the wild over human gain.

The Man (in 'To Build a Fire')

The Protagonist

The Man's arc is a tragic descent from overconfidence to desperate struggle, ending in his inevitable demise.

Della Dillingham Young

The Protagonist

Della's act of sacrifice reveals the depth of her love, making her a symbol of selfless devotion.

Emily Grierson

The Protagonist/Central Figure

Emily's life is a slow, tragic decline into madness and morbid reclusiveness, culminating in the shocking discovery after her death.

Tessie Hutchinson

The Protagonist/Victim

Tessie's arc is a swift and brutal descent from casual participant to scapegoat and victim.

Sarty Snopes

The Protagonist

Sarty moves from conflicted loyalty to a definitive break from his father's corrupting influence, choosing justice over familial obligation.

The Grandmother (in 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find')

The Protagonist

The Grandmother's arc is a journey from self-absorption and superficial piety to a moment of grace and empathy in the face of death.

Themes & Insights

Man vs. Nature/Indifference of the Universe

This theme looks at how humans struggle against nature's powerful, often uncaring forces. In 'The Open Boat,' the four men fight the sea, which is shown as beautiful but indifferent to their survival. They learn that nature is neither good nor bad, just unconcerned. Similarly, in 'To Build a Fire,' the Yukon wilderness acts as an opponent, its extreme cold slowly taking the man's life, highlighting his overconfidence in underestimating its power. Both stories show how small and vulnerable humans are when facing vast natural forces, suggesting that survival often needs humility and understanding one's place in nature.

“When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not lose her time breaking the small living thing by hand, it is a poignant discovery.”

The Weight of the Past and Tradition

This theme explores how the past—personal, family, or societal—deeply affects characters and communities. In 'A Rose for Emily,' Emily Grierson is trapped by her family's aristocratic past and the decaying traditions of the Old South, leading to her isolation and morbid secret. Her refusal to accept change and her literal clinging to the past (Homer Barron's body) are central. 'The Lottery' is a chilling example of the harm caused by blindly following tradition, where an old, brutal ritual is kept simply because 'it's always been done.' The villagers hold onto the lottery despite its horrific outcome, showing how tradition can override reason and morality. 'Rip Van Winkle' also shows the deep impact of a changed past, as Rip struggles to match his memories with a new, post-revolutionary America.

“The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions; they all knew the ritual.”

The Nature of Good and Evil/Redemption

This theme looks at the complex moral nature of humans and their capacity for both bad acts and moments of grace. In 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find,' the Grandmother, initially self-centered and hypocritical, has a brief, unclear moment of grace just before her death by The Misfit. Her thought that 'He might have been one of my own children' suggests a break from her judgmental nature and a glimpse of universal love. The Misfit, a chilling example of nihilism, struggles with the idea of Jesus and the lack of clear moral lines. This story questions simple ideas of good and evil, suggesting that even in extreme depravity, a moment of spiritual awakening can occur. 'Barn Burning' also explores this through Sarty's moral fight against his father's destructive evil.

“She was a good woman, ... if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”

Isolation and Alienation

This theme explores the psychological and social distances that separate individuals from others and from society. In 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' Roderick and Madeline Usher are completely isolated in their decaying mansion. Their physical and mental decline is made worse by their seclusion and the oppressive atmosphere of their ancestral home. Their isolation is both a symptom and a cause of their madness. Emily Grierson in 'A Rose for Emily' shows extreme social isolation, living as a recluse after her father's death and Homer Barron's disappearance. Her resistance to change and her refusal to interact with the modern town lead to her deep loneliness and the shocking secret she keeps. These stories show how isolation can cause psychological decay, unusual behaviors, and a desperate clinging to one's own reality, however distorted.

“I was forced to fall back upon the primitive images of the family, and to remember that the Usher race, for several generations, had always been noted for a peculiar sensibility of temperament, displaying itself, at length, in a long line of an ancestry of high intellectual power, coupled with an almost morbid acuteness of the senses.”

The American Dream and Its Discontents

This theme explores the hopes and realities of American life, often showing the failures, struggles, and darker sides of seeking happiness and wealth. While not all stories are explicitly about the 'dream,' many touch on the disappointment or harsh realities faced by ordinary people. 'The Gift of the Magi,' though heartwarming, is set against poverty in New York City, where a young couple struggles to live, showing the economic challenges many face. 'Barn Burning' clearly portrays the exploitation of sharecroppers and the class conflict in seeking land and stability, with Abner Snopes's anger leading to destructive acts. These stories often reveal the gap between idealized American values and the often grim, unequal experiences of its citizens.

“One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.”

Plot Devices & Literary Techniques

Frame Story

A story within a story, often used to introduce a narrator or set a specific tone.

This device involves a narrative that encloses or 'frames' one or more other narratives. In 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,' the narrator's quest for information about Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley serves as the frame for Simon Wheeler's long, rambling anecdote about Jim Smiley and his frog. This allows for a distinct shift in voice and perspective, moving from the educated, somewhat detached narrator to Wheeler's folksy, colloquial storytelling. The frame story also highlights the humor in the narrator's frustration and the unexpected digression, making the central tale more engaging and character-driven.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised, intentionally or unintentionally.

An unreliable narrator casts doubt on the veracity of the events being recounted, forcing the reader to question what is real. In 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,' the narrative seemingly depicts Peyton Farquhar's miraculous escape from hanging, only to reveal in the final paragraph that the entire escape was a vivid, desperate hallucination occurring in the instant before his death. This device creates a powerful twist, emphasizing the psychological intensity of the moment of death and the mind's capacity for self-deception. It plays with the reader's trust, making the ultimate truth more impactful and horrifying.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about future events in the story.

Foreshadowing subtly prepares the reader for later developments, building suspense and dramatic irony. In 'The Lottery,' early descriptions of the black box being 'shabby' and 'splintered,' and the children gathering stones, hint at the darker nature of the ritual, even amidst the cheerful atmosphere. Tessie Hutchinson's late arrival and her initial jovial attitude also subtly foreshadow her later, desperate protests. In 'To Build a Fire,' the old-timer's warning about not traveling alone in extreme cold directly foreshadows the man's fatal mistake. This device creates a sense of impending doom and makes the shocking climaxes more impactful.

Symbolism

The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else.

Symbolism imbues elements of a story with deeper meaning, enriching its themes. In 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' the decaying mansion itself symbolizes the Usher family's physical and psychological deterioration, with its fissure mirroring their own internal cracks. The black tarn reflects the house, suggesting a dark, subconscious connection. In 'A Rose for Emily,' Emily's decaying house symbolizes the crumbling aristocracy of the Old South and her own resistance to change, while the strand of gray hair found at the end symbolizes her morbid attachment to the past and the passage of time. These symbols amplify the stories' themes of decay, isolation, and the weight of history.

Critical analysis

Notable Quotes

“All of them, all of the living and all of the dead, were in a box, a box of darkness, a box of eternity.”

— From 'The Blue Hotel' by Stephen Crane, reflecting on the bleakness of human existence.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

— From 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find' by Flannery O'Connor, though often misattributed, it captures the interconnectedness of humanity.

“The past is never dead. It's not even past.”

— From 'A Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner, highlighting the inescapable influence of history and tradition.

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

— From 'Paul's Case' by Willa Cather, a classic opening line, setting a mood of impending doom or dramatic events.

“I was born in a cross-fire hurricane.”

— From 'The Swimmer' by John Cheever, a metaphorical opening suggesting a turbulent beginning to life.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

— From 'Babylon Revisited' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a poignant reflection on the struggle to move forward while being pulled back by past mistakes.

“Man is a creature of hope and invention, both of which can be extinguished by fear.”

— From 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, exploring how fear can suppress human potential and reason.

“He knew that he was going to die, and he knew that he was going to die soon.”

— From 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce, a stark realization of mortality in a moment of crisis.

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”

— From 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro' by Ernest Hemingway, a powerful statement on resilience and the aftermath of trauma.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

— From 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' by James Thurber, a playful nod to a classic opening, setting a tone of domesticity and fantasy.

“Death is the mother of beauty.”

— From 'The Chrysanthemums' by John Steinbeck, reflecting on how the ephemeral nature of life can make beauty more profound.

“I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.”

— From 'A Worn Path' by Eudora Welty, a poetic reference to the journey towards the end of life, imbued with a sense of acceptance.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

— From 'The Open Boat' by Stephen Crane, a quote about finding hope and beauty in dire circumstances.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

— From 'Barn Burning' by William Faulkner, emphasizing the importance of empathy and perspective.

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Wallace Stegner's collection aims to chronicle the evolution of the American short story, showcasing its growth from early humorous legends and regional anecdotes to more complex, psychologically driven contemporary fiction. He curates stories that exemplify significant stylistic and thematic shifts, illustrating how the genre matured alongside the nation's literary identity. The collection serves as both an anthology and a historical survey of the form.

About the author

Wallace Stegner

Wallace Earle Stegner was an American novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and historian, often called "The Dean of Western Writers". He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 and the U.S. National Book Award in 1977.

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Track Your Reading

Synopsis

Plot Summary

Rip Van Winkle

The Fall of the House of Usher

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

The Open Boat

A White Heron

To Build a Fire

The Gift of the Magi

A Rose for Emily

The Lottery

Barn Burning

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Principal Figures

Rip Van Winkle

Roderick Usher

Jim Smiley

Peyton Farquhar

The Correspondent

Sylvia

The Man (in 'To Build a Fire')

Della Dillingham Young

Emily Grierson

Tessie Hutchinson

Sarty Snopes

The Grandmother (in 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find')

Themes & Insights

Man vs. Nature/Indifference of the Universe

The Weight of the Past and Tradition

The Nature of Good and Evil/Redemption

Isolation and Alienation

The American Dream and Its Discontents

Plot Devices & Literary Techniques

Frame Story

Unreliable Narrator

Foreshadowing

Symbolism

Critical analysis

In-depth analysis

Strengths

Areas for improvement

Notable Quotes

Quiz

Test Your Knowledge

Key Questions (FAQ)

What is the overarching theme or purpose of Wallace Stegner's "Great American Short Stories"?

How does Stegner define or categorize 'greatness' in the context of these American short stories?

Are there specific regional or historical periods that Stegner emphasizes more heavily in this collection?

What kind of introduction or commentary does Stegner provide for the stories?

Does Stegner include any of his own short stories in this anthology?

How does the inclusion of early humorous legends like those by Mark Twain or Bret Harte set the stage for later, more complex works?

What recurring motifs or symbols can be observed across different eras of stories in the collection?

How do the character archetypes evolve from the 19th-century 'rugged individual' to the 20th-century 'alienated urbanite'?

Are there subtle stylistic connections between authors from different periods that Stegner hints at?

How does the psychological depth of characters change from earlier to later stories in the anthology?

What psychological impact do the settings (e.g., frontier, small town, city) have on the characters across different stories?

How do themes of trauma or disillusionment manifest psychologically in the characters of the post-WWI/WWII stories?

Are there examples where a character's internal monologue or stream of consciousness significantly alters the reader's psychological understanding?

Which story, or type of story, might be considered the most 'American' in its themes and why?

How does Stegner's selection implicitly argue for the short story's importance over the novel in certain periods?

Is there a 'missing' type of American short story that one might expect to see but isn't prominently featured in Stegner's collection?

How might a contemporary reader's interpretation of these stories differ from that of a reader when the anthology was first published?

What is Stegner's ultimate message or insight about the 'American character' as revealed through these stories?

Does the collection lean more towards optimistic or pessimistic views of the American experience?

About the author

Wallace Stegner

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