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Why is the story called “A Very Short Story”? Beyond the actual length of the story, what else does the shortness refer to? How does this shortness underscore the story’s theme?
In addition to describing the length of the text, “A Very Short Story” simplifies the romance narrative. Instead of framing Luz and the American as grand romantic heroes, the short and detail-less story reduces it to almost a mechanical action. The structure of the story suggests that Luz and the American do not matter.
- 2
Why does Krebs need to lie in “Soldier’s Home”? What does that need to lie suggest about the civilian understanding of war?
Krebs has to lie not because no one believes...
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