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Puppy, By George Saunders (2007)

Puppy, By George Saunders (2007)

Rating: 8.5/10

I noticed that during class discussions, we mostly talked about the perspective within the story constantly shifting from Marie to Callie and back to Marie. But I actually felt the need to focus on Jimmy more than just Callie and Marie. Looking deeper into the reason why and how the story flowed in this particular way, I believe we can notice that Jimmy was the motive for Callie abandoning the dog. We can also point out that Marie's decision not to buy the dog was the cause for Callie abandoning the puppy, but if Jimmy hadn't commanded Callie, the puppy never had to face this situation at the first place. Also, Jimmy was forcing others to accept his weird logic that "killing an animal is the only way to get rid of them". I thought that the author was not only trying to express not only the two different style of parenting shown by Marie and Callie, but how they are also influenced by other social elements. One was poverty, and the other was authoritative man, and I thought Jimmy represented the second element 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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