1. 1
Outline for the Analyisis of a Short Story
1. Idetify the author in his era.
2. Locate the literary piece with in the authors works.
3. Title of the literary piece
A. Meaning according the plot
1. Symbolic
2. Literal
3. Metaforic
B. The authors relation with the main character:
1. main character
2. center of attenction
3. the enviroment
4. the atomsphrere
5. other
4. Plot:
5. Action
A. Maximum o minumum
B. External o Internal
6. Conflict
A. What problems does the short story present
B. Who has problems and what are they?
C. What are the conflicts in the story:
Man vs Man
Man vs Society
Man vs Nature
Man vs Conscious
Man vs a System
Others:
7. Atmosphere
A. Real or Fictitious
B. Rural or Urban
C. Actual or Historical
D. Determinant or Conditional to the inhabitants or people
8. Characters:
A. Who are they? And how does the Author present them?
B. Distinguish the main character from the secondary character
9. Theme:
A. Where does the short story take us?
B. What does the author want to tell us?

2. 2
C. How does the author tell us? Directly or Indirectly Explain
10. Secondary Topics:
A. Seek them in the secondary characters, identify them in their value within the action,
identify whether they illustrate the theme or do they compliment it.
11. Structure:
A. External (if the author offers it) Or Internal (if the author does not offer it)
B. Internal
1. Introduction
2. Development-Climax
3. Dénouement
C. Classify the structure in:
1. Logical
2. Traditional
3. Artistic
4. Free writing
12. Tone of the Short Story:
Attitude that the author assumes in the account.
Ex. Satiric, human, humoristic etc.
14. Center of Interest of the Short Story
15. Personal Value:
A. What was the purpose of the author?
B. What did the author achieve?
C. What does the short story offer the reader?
D. Point out the main values in the story:
A. Literary, ethnic, political, logical, religious, ideological
Reference:
El Portal Educativo de América. (n.d.). El Portal Educativo de América. Retrieved January 9, 2013, from
http://www.proyectosalonhogar.com