The short story --- a story made of roughly three thousand to five thousand words tops, with a single storyline, minimal characters, and no subplots, but imbued with the creation of an intense ambience which precisely reflected the conflict at the heart of the story which often ended with a twist in the tale--- was born in response to a techno-social compulsion.
In a way, it began n blossomed in the U. S. England did have short stories. They , however, were long short stories or novellas. Or there were serialised novels, one chapter in the monthly of fortnightly issue.
The fast paced life in the hugely urbanising and industrialized cities, fast growing to be metros, such as New York was tough. There was huge internal migration. Waves of immigrants chasing the American Dream were attacking the coastlines.
Given these and many other factors, getting a home near your workplace was tough. The commute from home to work, and back, would each last at least an hour one way. To break the monotony of the travel time, the commuters needed an easy read.
A novel was too long, the thread would easily snap, and re-building the (s)pace need not be everybody's cup of tea. A play, too, is too complex to be finished off in an hour. Anyways, it needs to be performed for the entirety of the experience to emerge. Poetry need not be everyone's muse.
It is believed, hence, that the short story, which could be read within an hour or half, emerged, and became the favourite of the masses. I am sure each one of us has a favourite story written by Guy de Maupassant or O'Henry or Maugham or any of their descendants. Read it again, and mark the time, and you would agree with my statements!
Incidentally, our very own twenty-first century has, too, risen to the occasion. There is the new-fangled vertical drama. Vertical drama (or duanju) are plays, tops two minutes long, hyper-melodramatic series designed for vertical smartphone viewing, featuring twenty to hundred episodes. Primarily originating from China and popular on apps like ReelShort, these shows, such as "How to Break a DILF" and "The Double Life of a Billionaire Heiress," focus on fast-paced narratives like forbidden romance, revenge, and billionaire romance. Escapist entertainment for the sake of an adrenaline high!
Pratima@ My favourite most short story is attributed to Hemingway. It reads, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." It is the world best example of flash fiction, yet another genre thrown in by contemporary realities.
Quote of the day: "Literature is the reflection of the society," says Charles Nadier.
Word of the day: genre A genre is a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterised by a specific style, form, or content.
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