Types of Short FictionQVCC – ENG 110 – Spring 2010

Parables/Fables

•Parables•Instructive; reveal a moral or lesson, but it is not necessarily explicitly stated•Serious in tone

•Fables•Instructive; explicit lesson, often stated outright•Silly and humorous at times•Often feature animals as symbols for human condition•Discussion of human failings

•Por quoi tale•Story that explains why and/or how something has come to be

Short Story

•Massive popularity in 19th century; focus on middle class

•Dramatic arc included, but only as a single “scene” within a story;

we do not get to see the entire story, but rather an excerpt in a way

•Not a broad overview, but a detailed glimpse into a life

•No set standard for length

•Can take various forms

•Can also include non-realist modes

Novella

•Middle ground between short story and a novel

•Features slightly more detail in character development and

time/setting, but still only offers small chunk of a larger

“unseen” narrative

•Full length novels can develop plot to arc over a longer

period – novellas restrict action to a smaller slice of time