Short Story Unit #1:

1. Short Story Unit #1: Author and Story Information

2. Countries Represented • Russia (Asia) • Columbia (Latin America) • Egypt (Africa) • France (Europe)

3. Author #1: Leo Tolstoy • From: Russia • Birth: 1828 • Death: 1910

4. Tolstoy Cont. • Focus: Realist Fiction • Famous Novels: • War and Peace • Anna Karenina (Oprah Book Club Selection)

5. Tolstoy Cont. • Born into wealth and nobility • Traveled to Europe to escape stifling political repression in Russia • War and Peace: said to be one of the greatest novels ever written!

6. Tolstoy Cont. • Interesting fact: Tolstoy did not like Shakespeare! • I remember the astonishment I felt when I first read Shakespeare…Not only did I feel no delight but I felt an irresistible repulsion and tedium…

7. Tolstoy on Religion • Tolstoy believed that a true Christian could find lasting happiness by striving for inner self-perfection through following the Great Commandment of loving one’s neighbor and God rather than looking outward to the Church or state for guidance.

8. “The Long Exile” • Written in 1888 • Published as a children’s story • Setting: Russia/Siberia The story of a man who is falsely accused of a crime and when given the chance to get even, makes a bold decision.

9. Author #2 Gabriel Garcia Marquez • From: Colombia • Birth: 1927 • Death: Still alive!

10. Marquez Cont. • Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature, 1982 • One Hundred Years of Solitude (also Oprah book club selection…see a trend with good books???) • Love in the Time of Cholera: movie, 2007

11. Marquez Cont. • Interesting fact: The novel Memories of My Melancholy Whores (2003) was banned in Iran after 5000 copies were sold. • (It’s the story of a 90 year old man who romances a teenage concubine)

12. Marquez Cont. • Themes in Marquez’ stories: • Reality • Solitude • Setting: small villages (usually his home town of Aracataca, Columbia

13. “Tuesday Siesta” • Written: 1984 • The story of a mother and daughter who fight the elements of setting to pay tribute to her son/brother in a town that could not be bothered to take the time to assist them.

14. Naguib Mahfouz • From: Egypt • Birth: 1911 • Death: 2006

15. Mahfouz Cont. • Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature, 1988 • Explored the theme of existentialism

16. existentialism • a philosophical attitude that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices, not influenced by God or religion.

17. Mahfouz Cont. • Born in lower class, Muslim family • Great influence: The Egyptian Revolution of 1919. He watched British soldiers firing at demonstrators, men and women.

18. Mahfouz Cont. • Writing Style: focused on psychological impact of social change on ordinary people • Also dealt with politics, antipathy towards Islamic extremism, criticized radical Islam

19. “The Norwegian Rat” • Published: 1984 • Setting: Cairo, Egypt (1970’s) • A story about a rat infestation and how sometimes the solution is worse than the problem.

20. Guy de Maupassant • From: France • Birth: 1850 • Death: 1893 • Wrote: “The Necklace”

21. Maupassant • Stories are characterized by their economy of style and efficient, effortless denouement. • Delighted in clever plotting • (simple writing, understandable endings)

22. Maupassant • Considered one of the fathers of modern short story writing. • Interesting fact: Guy de Maupassant was very fond of Shakespeare! And, Tolstoy respected Maupassant’s writings!

23. “The Piece of String” • The story of a man who, in trying to hide the fact that he was cheap, made everyone think he was a fool and a liar.