English 10 IB
6/3/09
Ms. Peifer
Short Story Essay
The commonalities in these short stories are that most of the stories are about something that the author has experienced in their life time. The authors used their experiences to create a basis for their stories, and they also wanted to share their experiences with the world, and especially with the reader. These stories all had to do with either the authors' culture or their personal experiences as an individual. The authors poured their passion into these stories, and that is really what makes them the most similar to each other. There are some common themes and elements in some of the stories that are relatively the same, but not enough to make them all alike to each other. Some stories have surprise endings, or have an interesting point of view of the narrator, but it is the fact that the authors put their lives into the stories and tried to make them an image of themselves.
The differences in these stories are quite culture-specific. For example, in the story "The Most Handsomest Drowned Man In The World", Gabriel Garcia Marquez really put to use the Latin American writing style of magical realism, and that is apparent in the story when the dead Esteban makes such a impact on the society of the village. That element is very specific to Latin America. The story "Before The Law", by Franz Kafka, shows different kinds of culture or idea specific writing styles and elements. Kafka shows the idea of existentialism through the whole story. That idea influences his writing, and he shows it by making it very clear that the man trying top enter the law must only go through his door, and the idea of existentialism influences almost all of his other writings as well. The culture of the certain authors also has a significant impact on their writing and writing style, just as common writing styles and beliefs of a culture have an impact on the writing of those of that culture or nationality. The culture of Jomo Kenyatta, the author of "The Gentlemen of the Jungle", has an effective impact on his story. Since his culture is more outdoorsy and rough than that of Americans, it has an influence on his story. This influences his work by making it about the jungle, which would be most likely his surroundings, or at least he would be familiar with it, and that is why he writes about it. The fact that the different authors' cultures influences their writing in different ways is what makes these different stories so different.
These stories were very insightful into the life or atmosphere that the authors were in, and it is also an interesting view on their culture as well. Most modern story writers are concerend about the lives of humans, and how different things effect those lives, and that is then what they write about. The stories, although short, are entertaining because they offer a different look at the culture and backround of the author of that story, and that new insight gives the reader a new way of looking at that and other stories that they may read.
The differences in these stories are quite culture-specific. For example, in the story "The Most Handsomest Drowned Man In The World", Gabriel Garcia Marquez really put to use the Latin American writing style of magical realism, and that is apparent in the story when the dead Esteban makes such a impact on the society of the village. That element is very specific to Latin America. The story "Before The Law", by Franz Kafka, shows different kinds of culture or idea specific writing styles and elements. Kafka shows the idea of existentialism through the whole story. That idea influences his writing, and he shows it by making it very clear that the man trying top enter the law must only go through his door, and the idea of existentialism influences almost all of his other writings as well. The culture of the certain authors also has a significant impact on their writing and writing style, just as common writing styles and beliefs of a culture have an impact on the writing of those of that culture or nationality. The culture of Jomo Kenyatta, the author of "The Gentlemen of the Jungle", has an effective impact on his story. Since his culture is more outdoorsy and rough than that of Americans, it has an influence on his story. This influences his work by making it about the jungle, which would be most likely his surroundings, or at least he would be familiar with it, and that is why he writes about it. The fact that the different authors' cultures influences their writing in different ways is what makes these different stories so different.
These stories were very insightful into the life or atmosphere that the authors were in, and it is also an interesting view on their culture as well. Most modern story writers are concerend about the lives of humans, and how different things effect those lives, and that is then what they write about. The stories, although short, are entertaining because they offer a different look at the culture and backround of the author of that story, and that new insight gives the reader a new way of looking at that and other stories that they may read.
