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James Joyce vs Anton Chekhov

James Joyce vs Anton Chekhov

First, I would like to define the characteristics of each author, starting with James Joyce. Based on Joyce's stories I've read so far, I felt that his stories are very concise and efficient. And he also manages well to use the advantage of writing a short story and maximize it. Instead, Chekhov focuses on the change of the character's mindset which is also emphasized by the same daily routine that is described differently from each perspective, before the change, during the change, and after the change. Both authors end the story with an open conclusion, but I found Chekhov's conclusion more intriguing to read. In the story <The Lady with the Dog>, Chekhov doesn't imply any ethical messages or moral lessons in his conclusion. For example, writers like Tolstoy would end the conclusion of wrongdoers with punishment, but in this story, Gurov and Anna don't pay anything for committing adultery, leaving the readers to decide. Overall I think Joyce manages to deliver the theme in an efficient way, allowing the readers to make this story become their own, while Chekhov rather allows the readers to be part of the story until the conclusion. To conclude, I personally enjoyed Joyce more, since his stories introduced me to the necessity of short stories, but I believe Chekhov has his own charm of attracting the readers too.

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Hunters in the Snow, By Tobias Wolff (1981)

Hunters in the Snow, By Tobias Wolff (1981) Rating: 8.5/10      I enjoyed the dark irony and dark humor shown in this story. Each character seems foolish and silly, but when you find out who they are symbolizing, it's not as funny as before. Dirty realism reveals our inner flaws and enlightens us on how stupid we look from an omniscient perspective. And this is not a figure of particular minorities, but the big trend of selfishness or individualism that is rampant in recent society. What I found interesting was the cruelty of modern society as well. In the end, we see that both Tub and Frank are actually happy, or not upset at least. We know what they've done wrong, but we see how they are just moving on to the next path, laughing, and talking among the ones who lived. I think this story felt more refreshing since unlike typical men's problems happening in the 1980s (ex. swimmer or five-forty-eight), we can see individualism in our school, college admission, and within ours

The Student, By Anton Chekhov (1894)

The Student, By Anton Chekhov (1894) Rating: 8.5/10 When I first read this story, I wasn't sure whether The Student is full of unnecessary elements that only confuse the readers or some literary devices that actually entail a message that connects the whole story. But as I read it over and over again, I found out that this piece of hard literature actually does contain deep meaning. It was fascinating to find out that the weather descriptions at the start and the end of the story show the mood. And what was even more impressive was the fact that the author implies a deep message in such normal daily events. Also, as a Christian who had heard of the Peter story since I was young, I have always taken the story as just a moral story that tells you to never lie. But in The Student, I was able to imagine different aspects of the story. Overall, I thought that these kinds of literature should be read over and over again. 

The Tower, By Marghanita Laski (1955)

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