Classic American Short Stories.pdf

Classic American Short Stories

by Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Kate Chopin, Stephen Crane, Sherwood Anderson, Herman Melville,

Jack London, Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, Bret Harte

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Table of Contents

Notes. ....................................................................................................................................................................1

Young Goodman Brown. ....................................................................................................................................2

Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography. ............................................................................................................2

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ....................................................................................................2

Young Goodman Brown. .........................................................................................................................3

Bartleby, the Scrivener. ....................................................................................................................................11

Herman Melville Biography. .................................................................................................................11

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................11

Bartleby, the Scrivene.. .........................................................................................................................12

The Cask of Amontillado. .................................................................................................................................35

Edgar Allan Poe Biography. ..................................................................................................................35

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................35

The Cask of Amontillado. ......................................................................................................................36

To Build a Fire. .................................................................................................................................................42

Jack London Biography. ........................................................................................................................42

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................42

To Build a Fire. ......................................................................................................................................43

The Open Boa.. .................................................................................................................................................52

Stephen Crane Biography. .....................................................................................................................52

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................52

The Open Boat. ......................................................................................................................................53

The Outcasts of Poker Fla.. .............................................................................................................................70

Bret Harte Biography. ............................................................................................................................70

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................70

The Outcasts of Poker Fla. ....................................................................................................................71

The Gift of the Magi. ........................................................................................................................................77

O. Henry Biography. ..............................................................................................................................77

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................77

The Gift of the Magi. .............................................................................................................................78

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. ....................................................................................82

Mark Twain Biography. .........................................................................................................................82

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................82

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. .............................................................................83

Désirée's Baby. ..................................................................................................................................................87

Kate Chopin Biography. ........................................................................................................................87

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................87

Désirée's Baby.. ......................................................................................................................................88

Table of Contents

Hands. ................................................................................................................................................................93

Sherwood Anderson Biography. ............................................................................................................93

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights. ..................................................................................................93

Hands. ....................................................................................................................................................94

Notes

What is a literary classic and why are these classic works important to the world?

A literary classic is a work of the highest excellence that has something important to say about life and/or the

human condition and says it with great artistry. A classic, through its enduring presence, has withstood the test

of time and is not bound by time, place, or customs. It speaks to us today as forcefully as it spoke to people

one hundred or more years ago, and as forcefully as it will speak to people of future generations. For this

reason, a classic is said to have universality.

This anthology contains a unique cross-section of American short stories, written between 1835 and 1919.

They span the entire genre, going from simple irony to an exploration of the nature of evil. Many of America's

greatest writers are included, and the stylistic and thematic differences among them offer readers a large

diversity of plot, theme, setting, and character development.

The sly wit of Mark Twain's country bumpkins in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is sure

to provoke laughter and an appreciation for Twain's uncanny ear for dialect. O. Henry's poverty-stricken

couple in The Gift of the Magi experience a twist of fate that only love can bring, and when it occurs on

Christmas Eve, it is that much more rewarding. One of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous stories, The Cask of

Amontillado , with the murderous insanity of its narrator, the primal fear it arouses, and its ironic humor has

enthralled readers for many years. Naturalism and anthropomorphism are important elements in Jack

London's To Build a Fire , as the story's foolish Yukon traveler pushes his dog toward their opposite fates after

ignoring wiser men's advice.

Herman Melville's Bartleby, the Scrivener, filled with ambiguity and uncertainty over the main character's

motivation, offers great relevance to modern society's desire for individuality and success in the business

world. Stephen Crane's The Open Boat , another realistic tale of survival or death, captivates the imagination

by placing readers inside a dingy struggling to survive against the might of the sea. Désirée's Baby, Kate

Chopin's story about female independence and the breaking of racial stereotypes, shocked the America of the

1890s, and its characters seem even more relevant in today's more understanding society.

Sherwood Anderson's Hands, with both its directness and its hints at hidden issues, influenced future

generations of writers, including Ernest Hemingway, who for a while considered Anderson a mentor.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's allegory, Young Goodman Brown , provides a clear depiction of how temptation and

wickedness have the potential to overcome basic human goodness. Bret Harte's The Outcasts of Poker Flat , a

story of wonderfully diverse characters who simply do not fit into society's expectations and who exhibit both

unexpected strengths and surprising weaknesses, rounds out the anthology.

These ten classics demonstrate the vast sweep of American short stories. They represent some of our greatest

literary achievements.

Notes

Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography

Considered one of the greatest American writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 – 1864), is a direct product of

his New England background. His father was a sea captain, who died when the boy was only four. Reared in a

reclusive setting, Hawthorne became an avid reader, as recorded by the huge number of books he borrowed

from the local lending library in Salem, Massachusetts. His uncle sent him to Bowdoin College, where

Hawthorne became good friends with the future president, Franklin Pierce, and future poet, Henry Wadsworth

Longfellow. Hawthorne wrote, but destroyed most of his early writings; however, by the time he was 33, his

writing style and content had matured. Critics credit Hawthorne with making the short story acceptable

literature in America, especially after his Twice Told Tales was published in 1837.

Haunted by his Puritan past, including a grandfather who was a judge at the Salem Witch Trials, Hawthorne

wrote many of his novels and short stories, including The Scarlet Letter , The House of the Seven Gables , and

“Young Goodman Brown” with deeply Puritan backgrounds. His contributions to American literature include

his meticulous style, intriguing themes, complex symbolism, and psychological insights into human nature.

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights

As you read “Young Goodman Brown,” take note of the following:

Theme:

Note how Young Goodman Brown learns that all people are sinners and what happens to him after gaining

this knowledge.

Atmosphere:

Hawthorne's use of vocabulary gives “Young Goodman Brown” a strong sense of darkness and gloom.

Symbols:

Forest – a place of evil or temptation

Faith – both Brown's wife, who is pure and sweet, and his religious faith

Young Goodman – an implication of naïveté, piety, goodness, and righteousness.

Pink ribbon – child-like innocence and femininity

Unique Elements in Hawthorne's Story:

Young Goodman Brown

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