Theme and narrative elements of a short story
THEME AND NARRATIVE ELEMENTS
OF A SHORT STORY
Kim Johnson
Eng 125: Introduction to Literature
Victoria Schmidt
May 26, 2014
THEME AND NARRATIVE OF A SHORT STORY
William Sidney Porter (1862-1910) wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry. “The Gift of the Magi” written in 1906 has become a beloved Christmas tale. It has been adapted into musicals and operas. It is a story about a man and a woman who are so much in love that they are willing to sacrifice their most beloved possessions in order to give their true love a Christmas gift. The overall theme of the narrative is sacrifice and love. I will use symbolism and setting as the literary elements to describe how love and sacrifice is the theme of this short story.
The theme of “The Gift of the Magi” is sacrifice and love. “The theme in a piece of literature is not a summary of the plot; it is not a statement about a dominant impression or mood; it is not a moral or proposition; it is not the attitude of the writer. Theme is more complex than any of these elements of fiction; it can’t be defined in a single word. Theme in fiction is associated with something abstract, something broad: The theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete. That’s how theme is created. In other words, the theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story. “(Clugston, 2010 p7.1)
The setting of the narrative is poverty. The setting is described as “the time or place in which fictional events occur. It puts boundaries around the action and defines the environment in which conflict can be witnessed and character development observed. Setting may also have a social dimension in which particular local customs, dress, or speech provide a framework for understanding the characters and their interactions.” (Clugston, 2010 p.6.4) Della counting her pennies visualizes the depth
OF A SHORT STORY
Kim Johnson
Eng 125: Introduction to Literature
Victoria Schmidt
May 26, 2014
THEME AND NARRATIVE OF A SHORT STORY
William Sidney Porter (1862-1910) wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry. “The Gift of the Magi” written in 1906 has become a beloved Christmas tale. It has been adapted into musicals and operas. It is a story about a man and a woman who are so much in love that they are willing to sacrifice their most beloved possessions in order to give their true love a Christmas gift. The overall theme of the narrative is sacrifice and love. I will use symbolism and setting as the literary elements to describe how love and sacrifice is the theme of this short story.
The theme of “The Gift of the Magi” is sacrifice and love. “The theme in a piece of literature is not a summary of the plot; it is not a statement about a dominant impression or mood; it is not a moral or proposition; it is not the attitude of the writer. Theme is more complex than any of these elements of fiction; it can’t be defined in a single word. Theme in fiction is associated with something abstract, something broad: The theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete. That’s how theme is created. In other words, the theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story. “(Clugston, 2010 p7.1)
The setting of the narrative is poverty. The setting is described as “the time or place in which fictional events occur. It puts boundaries around the action and defines the environment in which conflict can be witnessed and character development observed. Setting may also have a social dimension in which particular local customs, dress, or speech provide a framework for understanding the characters and their interactions.” (Clugston, 2010 p.6.4) Della counting her pennies visualizes the depth
References: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Daoud Kuttab(2000, Dec 22). 'Magi ' on A biblical journey pray for peace on earth. Middle East News OnlineRetrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/202993343?accountid=32521 Laucius, J. (2010, Dec 17). The poor are with us always. Postmedia News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/849261350?accountid=32521