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Araby, By James Joyce (1914)

Araby, By James Joyce (1914)

Rating: 8/10

Just like other James Joyce stories, I could find very concise suspense as the story describes the boy growing up into an adult. Seeing the child entering the world of adults and being introduced to the ugly side of life was quite relatable and also brutal to watch, but all I could do was just wish for the boy to never lose the pure-hearted feeling that he had when he first met the Mangan sister. I wondered what role does the uncle represent in this story and came up with the thought that he symbolizes the obstacles in life, which we can't fully control and prepare for. It was impressive to see how a big theme is placed in such a short scene of life just passing by. 

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The Swimmer, By John Cheever (1964)

The Swimmer, By John Cheever (1964) Rating: 9.3/10 I personally think these kinds of stories are what short stories should be like. Very easy to understand, direct, and clear, but also a very unusual way of unfolding the plot compared to other stories. The main character was similar to Blake from The Five-Forty-Eight, they both represent American white men during the era. The devices like alcohol, pool, and season were implemented in a very enjoyable way so that readers can follow them like a clue and reach the conclusion. What I notice from recent stories we've read is that we don't whether the main character changes or not, it's always an open ending, however, we see their environment changing as a consequence of their prior actions. Overall very amusing and I wished I had the ability to write stories like this that can closely touch the readers.
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The Lady with the Dog, By Anton Chekhov (1899)

The Lady with the Dog, By Anton Chekhov (1899) Rating: 6.5/10 I didn't really enjoy this story as much as other short stories. The reason why is because, throughout the whole story, there were unnecessary rhetorical devices that were repetitive. For example, the author describes the place 'Yalta' not only at the opening but kept mentioning it whenever Gurov and Anna would take a walk. For me, this style of writing distanced me, the reader from the flow of the theme that this story is trying to deliver. It did enhance the reader's understanding of each individual character's change of thoughts, but interpreting the theme, wasn't efficient. At least the story ended with a totally open conclusion, but I would've enjoyed it much better if the story gave more space to the readers also during the process of reaching the conclusion.
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Snowman, By Seo Yu-mi

Snowman, By Seo Yu-mi Rating: 9.3/10 We have read magical realism in class before, and those stories always brought a feeling of enthusiasm. But out of all, I enjoyed <Snowman> the most, for its time background, and the use of snow as an ironic symbol. With winter being my favorite season, I know well that snow brings a warm and cozy mood with a fantasy-like image. And depicting the snow as the symbol of the dull and weary reality of a strict hierarchy society, really emphasized the effect of magical realism. The setting of time background as the modern era, which we can deeply relate to, also maximized the beauty of magical realism. But, one thing I would recommend is to show some emotional ups and downs of the main character. I am aware that it's hard to expect this from a short story, but even a small impulsive aspect of the main character would delight the readers more. For these reasons, I rate this story 9.3 out of 10.
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