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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 ourselves as well, this is why I give 8.5 out of 10.

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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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