Falling in love with close reading through the short story: a pedagogical approach in introductory literature classrooms 57 views

This project examines the pedagogical value of the short story in introductory literature courses and responds to a gap in recent scholarship on how the form can be taught at this level. I offer a framework for teaching the short story as a form characterized by irresolution and suggestiveness, arguing that these qualities make short fiction ideal for building close reading skills across two scaffolded case studies. The first case study focuses on structure and pairs Hans Christian Andersen’s "The Little Mermaid" with Gabriel García Márquez’s "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," inviting students to compare how each text establishes narrative patterns. The second case study centers on ambiguity through a standalone reading of Haruki Murakami’s "The Elephant Vanishes," encouraging students to grow more comfortable with unresolved elements and develop interpretive confidence. By offering strategies for navigating ambiguity through collaborative close reading, this project positions the short story as an effective entry point into literary analysis and calls for renewed attention to short story pedagogy within introductory literature instruction.

MA (Master of Arts)

Short story; Short fiction; Pedagogy; Close reading

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2026-04-27