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The Boarding House, By James Joyce (1914)

The Boarding House, By James Joyce (1914)

Rating: 7.5/10

I think <The Boarding House> is a type of story that needs an in-depth analysis of 'characters'. The madame and her daughter as well as Mr.Doran, each had very unique characteristics and took different roles in the message. I believe the author also wanted to take some time with characterizing each person since Joyce writes about Mrs.Mooney's life before opening the boarding house. I could see how Mrs.Mooney herself has experienced a hapless marriage, which lead to divorce, but she is leading her daughter to the same pattern and passing on the vicious cycle. One common characteristic that these three characters share with one another is 'selfishness'. Their own goal and the way they achieve it is different for each character, however, the essential character that stimulates their life is, I believe, 'selfishness'. Overall I could clearly feel the filthiness of humans the author mingled within the story.

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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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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. Overa...
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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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