本书是上海市高等学校教育高地建设项目，是为普通高校英语专业本科生编写的文学教材。本书共20章，分两大部分。**部分为英语短篇小说结构要素分析，第二部分为当今西方通用的文学批评方法。每章除了基础理论的介绍，还有选文作者的介绍、相关评论、英文注释、思考问题及答案。本书可作为英语专业学生必修课和选修课教材之用．也可供英语爱好者提高文学修养之用。

銆€銆€Chapter l聽 Plot
銆€聽 Stories are based on life锛巄ut life as it is cannot be astory锛嶧or lifc tO become a stoi'y锛宨t needs to be clipped andshaped,and that is plotting锛嶪n鈥淎涔橮鈥?present chapter)JohnUpdikewrites only about those events that suggest a basicconflict betweenconformity and independence锛宼hus creatmg aplot by imposing orderand unity on his material锛嶱lot is notmerely the sum total of eventsor their sequence锛嶳ather it isthe organizing principle thatcontrols the order of events锛宼heselectin

Part OneBasic Elements of English Short Stories
銆€Chapter l聽 Plot
銆€聽 John Updike(19322009)聽
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments聽
銆€聽聽聽 A锛哖
銆€聽 William Faulkner(1897-1962)
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 A Rose for Emily聽
銆€Chapter 2聽 Character
銆€聽 James Joyce(18821941)
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 Araby聽
銆€Chapter 3聽 Setting and Atmosphere
銆€聽 Ernest Hemingway(18991961)聽
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 In Another Country聽
銆€Chapter 4 Point of View
銆€聽 Frank O锛孋onnor rl903鈥?966)聽
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 First Confession
銆€Chapter 5聽 Theme
銆€聽 Kurt Vonnegut锛孞r(1922鈥?007)
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 Harrison Bergeron
銆€Chapter 6聽 StyleTone and Mood
銆€聽 Nadine Gordimer(1923涓€聽 )
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 The Train from Rhodesia
銆€Chapter 7聽 Irony and Satire
銆€聽 Shirley Jackson(1916-1965)
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments
銆€聽聽聽 The Lottery聽
銆€Chapter 8聽 Humor and Paradox
銆€聽 Bernard Malamud锛?914鈥?986)聽
銆€聽聽聽 Related Comments聽
銆€聽聽聽 The Magic Barrel
銆€Chapter 9 Symbol and Al