| Short story is a fictional work which depicts one | | | | tales and the modern short stories. Short tales go |
| character's inner conflict or conflict with others. It | | | | back to the genesis of human speech, and some |
| usually has one thematic focus. | | | | were written by the Egyptians as long ago as |
| The short story, as the name suggests is basically | | | | around 2000 B.C. They basically dramatize a |
| "short" which runs in length from a sentence to | | | | simple theme and subject and give emphasis to |
| four pages, or to novellas that can be 100 pages | | | | narrative over characterization. The modern short |
| long. And therefore, it shows the characteristics | | | | stories, on the other hand, emphasize language, |
| of both the short story and the novel. Since | | | | characterization, mood, and style over the |
| some works overlap the definitional lines of the | | | | narrative itself. |
| three forms of fiction namely short stories, | | | | Distinction Between Commercial and Literary |
| novella, and novel, it is better to consider the | | | | Fiction: |
| term as approximate rather than absolute. | | | | Commercial and literary fiction also needs to be |
| Short stories usually produce in the reader an | | | | differentiated within the short story genre. |
| emotional and intellectual response. Novels, on the | | | | Commercial short fiction, From O. Henry to |
| contrary, generally represent conflicts among | | | | Stephen King, has traditionally employed |
| many characters developed through various | | | | predictable plot formulas, depicted stock |
| episodes, which stimulate a complexity of | | | | characters, conflicts, and superficial themes. |
| responses in the reader. | | | | Literary short fiction on the other hand employs |
| Short Tales vs. Modern Short Story: | | | | complex techniques in order to show the |
| It is interesting to learn and differentiate short | | | | irresolvable dilemmas of the human predicament. |