Related to the Short Story Form
Because
the short story sets forth in a dramatic, compressed, poetic, often
poignant and unexpected way, complex situations, motivations, issues that
are encountered in life, participants
are motivated to think about their own lives while maintaining a distance,
which makes it easier to arrive at new insights.
Because the short story develops a dramatic presentation of the internal and external causes of the suffering, conflicts, and joys of a number of characters, participants gain not only an opportunity to reflect on situations in their own lives but also to increase their understanding of a less familiar world.
Because the short story often mingles literary language with more familiar street talk or discursive language, participants are pleasantly surprised that famous authors speak as they do and lose some of their fears of facing up to a difficult text.
Because the short story uses poetic language, images, contrasts, ambiguities, and resonances, participants' imagination is stimulated, and they are encouraged to develop their own hypotheses and ideas, which are beyond the stock of clichés based on the formulation of others
Because the short story uses language that is at first beyond the basic reader's scope but becomes understandable through discussion, participants are given the hope that comes from mastering a task they thought intimidating or impossible.
Because the short story form is often open-ended, participants move beyond unilateral interpretations and become open to other points of view from different members of the discussion group.
Because the short story raises more questions than it answers, participants develop and refine their problem-solving skills.
Because the short story often represents different cultural values, others ways of thinking, participants have the opportunity to encounter a variety of interpretations and meanings, and it helps them to examine their own cultural norms.
Because the short story resists simple explanations, participants become more comfortable with complexity.
Because the short story invites commentary, participants develop critical skills, an ability to organize their thoughts and express them to others, thereby preparing themselves to play a more active and informed role in our civil society.
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