And then simply do it again for the next story.

Here are the questions: Responding to Short Stories

1-Summarize the plot by saying this happened, then this happened, then this happened. Rather, please tell me what ideas/emotions/universal experiences it is exploring. For example, you could say that Hemingway's story "Soldier's Home" is about the alienation a soldier feels when he comes home from the war and finds he no longer fits into his old way of life.

2-What is most striking to you about this story? Serious authors, unlike writers of "formula fiction," usually try to do something new and different in their writing. They are not content to simply "give the readers what they want" or to repeat the same ideas and techniques that have been done countless times before. Thinking about the most striking aspects of the story might help you to determine what the author was trying to achieve with his or her writing.

3-Analyze the main character(s) in depth, focusing especially on their personality traits, and any conflicts (internal or external) they are facing.

4-How does the main character change by the end of the story? In literary fiction, the change is often internal (psychological) rather than a dramatic external change. The change also might be quite subtle and it may not be stated overtly. You probably will not find a line that says, "And then Jim realized that......". The change might be implied and will require you to read carefully.

5- What is your personal response to this story? Here you can be totally subjective and say something like "I like this character because she reminds me of my mother" or "I don't understand why such and such happened." It's OK to say if you liked it or didn't like it, but please explain WHY.