Short Stories

• 1. "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

  • Characters: Narrator, Old Man
  • Summary: Guilt-ridden narrator confesses to murdering an old man with a "vulture eye.
• 1. "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

  • Characters: Della, Jim
  • Summary: Impoverished couple sacrifices cherished possessions for each other's Christmas gifts.
• 1. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

  • Characters: Narrator, John
  • Summary: Disturbing descent into madness as a woman is confined by societal expectations.
• 1. "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

  • Characters: Rainsford, General Zaroff
  • Summary: A hunted man becomes the hunter in a deadly game of survival.
• 1. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe

  • Characters: Montresor, Fortunato
  • Summary: Revenge-driven Montresor leads Fortunato to a macabre end within catacombs.
• 1. "The Gift" by Li-Young Lee

  • Characters: Father, Son
  • Summary: A father imparts wisdom and heritage through a simple, meaningful fruit.
• 1. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor

  • Characters: The Misfit, Grandmother
  • Summary: A family road trip takes a dark turn encountering an escaped convict.
• 1. "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville

  • Characters: Bartleby, The Lawyer
  • Summary: A peculiar scrivener's passive resistance confounds and transforms his employer.
• 1. "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway

  • Characters: The American, Jig
  • Summary: A couple navigates the complexities of an unplanned pregnancy in ambiguous conversation.
• 1. "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner

  • Characters: Emily Grierson, Homer Barron
  • Summary: Southern gothic tale of an eccentric woman and her twisted love story.
• 1. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway

  • Characters: Harry, Helen
  • Summary: A writer facing death reflects on love, regret, and unfulfilled ambitions.
• 1. "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant

  • Characters: Mathilde Loisel, Monsieur Loisel
  • Summary: Ambitious woman's life unravels after borrowing a coveted necklace for an event.
• 1. "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane

  • Characters: The Correspondent, The Captain
  • Summary: Survivors of a shipwreck battle nature's indifference in a small lifeboat.
• 1. "The Birth-Mark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Characters: Aylmer, Georgiana
  • Summary: A scientist's obsession with perfection leads to tragic consequences for his wife.
• 1. "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Characters: Goodman Brown, Faith
  • Summary: A man's journey into the woods reveals the dark side of human nature.
• 1. "The Lottery Ticket" by Anton Chekhov

  • Characters: Ivan Dmitritch, Masha
  • Summary: A simple lottery ticket disrupts the tranquility of a Russian couple.
• 1. "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

  • Characters: Lt. Jimmy Cross, Kiowa
  • Summary: Vietnam War soldiers carry physical and emotional burdens in O'Brien's haunting narrative.
• 1. "To Build a Fire" by Jack London

  • Characters: The Man, The Dog
  • Summary: A man battles nature's harshness in the unforgiving Yukon wilderness.
• 1. "A&P" by John Updike

  • Characters: Sammy, Queenie
  • Summary: Supermarket cashier confronts societal norms in a bold, impulsive act of rebellion.
• 1. "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck

  • Characters: Elisa Allen, The Tinker
  • Summary: A woman's unfulfilled desires bloom briefly in her connection with a tinker.
• 1. "The Dead" by James Joyce

  • Characters: Gabriel Conroy, Gretta Conroy
  • Summary: A festive gathering prompts introspection and realization of mortality for Gabriel.
• 1. "The Swimmer" by John Cheever

  • Characters: Neddy Merrill, Shirley Adams
  • Summary: A man's surreal journey through swimming pools exposes the fragility of suburban life.
• 1. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber

  • Characters: Walter Mitty, Mrs. Mitty
  • Summary: A daydreaming man's vivid fantasies contrast with his mundane reality.
• 1. "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell

  • Characters: Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters
  • Summary: Rural women discover the truth behind a murder as they bond silently.
• 1. "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Characters: Reverend Hooper, Elizabeth
  • Summary: A clergyman's mysterious black veil symbolizes the hidden sins of humanity.
• 1. "The Beast in the Jungle" by Henry James

  • Characters: John Marcher, May Bartram
  • Summary: A man fears an unknown catastrophic event that shapes his entire life.
• 1. "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner

  • Characters: Colonel Sartoris Snopes, Abner Snopes
  • Summary: A young boy struggles with loyalty to his family and justice.
• 1. "The Dead Man" by Horacio Quiroga

  • Characters: The Dead Man, The Boy
  • Summary: In a haunting jungle, a father and son confront death's inevitability.
• 1. "The Aleph" by Jorge Luis Borges

  • Characters: Borges (fictionalized version of the author)
  • Summary: A man discovers a point in space that contains all other points.
• 1. "The Hitchhiking Game" by Milan Kundera

  • Characters: The Man, The Woman
  • Summary: A seemingly innocent hitchhiking game takes a dark and unexpected turn.
• 1. "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin

  • Characters: Louise Mallard, Brently Mallard
  • Summary: A woman's brief taste of freedom leads to a shocking revelation.
• 1. "The Open Window" by Saki (H.H. Munro)

  • Characters: Framton Nuttel, Vera
  • Summary: A mischievous girl's storytelling creates a hilariously ironic turn of events.
• 1. "The Law of Life" by Jack London

  • Characters: Koskoosh, Sit-cum-to-ha
  • Summary: An elderly man confronts his imminent death in the harsh wilderness.
• 1. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence

  • Characters: Paul, Hester
  • Summary: A boy discovers a secret method to predict horse race winners.
• 1. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway

  • Characters: Old Man, Young Waiter
  • Summary: Existential exploration in a café, where light is a metaphor for solace.
• 1. "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield

  • Characters: Laura Sheridan, Jose
  • Summary: Social class and privilege clash in the aftermath of a garden party.
• 1. "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde

  • Characters: The Nightingale, The Student
  • Summary: A selfless nightingale sacrifices her life for an ephemeral human love.
• 1. "The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft

  • Characters: Inspector Legrasse, Professor Angell
  • Summary: Uncovering cosmic horrors as investigators delve into the mysteries of ancient cults.
• "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry

  • Characters: Sam, Bill
  • Summary: Kidnapping a mischievous boy becomes a hilarious and regrettable ordeal.
• 1. "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton

  • Characters: The Princess, The Youth
  • Summary: A princess's dilemma leads to an ambiguous and intriguing end.