Opened, small book of short stories.

With these short stories to teach literary devices, see how authors use literary techniques and elements with a captivating tale you can read in under an hour. Whether you’re an educator looking for instructional materials or a student looking for ELA practice, this selection of entertaining stories are ripe with material for literary analysis practice!

What are Literary Devices?

Literary devices are tools that authors use to create the logical structure of their work and convey its meaning. Have you ever felt moved by the way a story contrasts two characters, or you were able to immerse yourself in a book thanks to the author’s descriptive writing? Writers are able to make an impression on readers of their work through the use of literary devices.

Literary devices can be categorized into two general types: techniques and elements. Literary elements are how an author tells a story, while literary techniques are the ways they manipulate language to convey a particular meaning.

When authors effectively use literary devices, readers familiar with those devices can understand, interpret, and appreciate the work. Learning about literary analysis is an important topic in an ELA course because it’s a critical part of media literacy; if you don’t know how literary devices work, you’re missing out on many of the ideas authors present. 

Literary Elements

The tools that authors use to craft compelling stories are literary elements:

Plot The cause-and-effect structure of events that make up a story.

The exposition introduces the characters and setting.

The introduction of conflict begins the rising action—the build-up of events and pressure leading to the moment of truth, the climax. 

Following the peak of the story is the falling action, which details how the conflicts and sub-plots die down until it’s all wrapped up with the denouement.
Conflict The central struggle that motivates the characters is conflict, which gives the story purpose and fuels the plot.

Conflict usually occurs between the protagonist and antagonist, but it can exist in other forms. There can be multiple conflicts throughout a story.

The main character(s) can fight other characters, nature, fate, supernatural elements, technology, or society as a whole.
Characterization A character is any person, animal, being, or thing in a story.

Every story has major and minor characters. Each character is either static—unchanging through the course of the story—or dynamic—undergoing change through the story, usually as a result of the plot.

The two character types that always exist in a story are the protagonist, the main character who’s on a path to solve the conflict, and the antagonist, who opposes the main character and drives the conflict.
Setting The setting of a story is the time and location in which it takes place.

The time period, physical location, and social context of the story is the setting. The setting may change throughout the story as scenes take place in different locations.
Tone & Mood Tone is the author’s attitude in a text. Mood is a text’s ambiance.

An author’s tone is the way the audience thinks the author feels about something because of how they wrote about it. As a result of the tone and literary techniques, authors can make the reader feel a certain way—this is a text's mood.
Point of View The position of the narrator in relationship with the plot is a story’s point of view

The narrator’s role is to make sense of the story for the reader, so the point of view makes an impact on how readers perceive events.

In First Person POV, the narrator is typically a character in the story and the reader can see all of their thoughts. 

In Second Person POV, the story is told to the reader, using “you” pronouns to speak directly to the reader.

Third Person POV is when the narrator is outside of the story and not part of it. The narrator may be “all-knowing” and show the thought of multiple characters (3rd Person Omniscient) or they may focus on just one character (3rd Person Limited).
Theme A theme of a story is a message it attempts to convey.

From “good triumphs over evil” to “the power of friendship”, themes are the central ideas and messages a story tries to convey.

Authors often develop themes through symbolism—if an idea or object is recurring throughout a story, it may be a symbol that is developing a greater theme.

Literary Techniques

Literary techniques, on the other hand, are how writers manipulate language to achieve a specific effect:

Allusion A reference to a work of literature, art, or film, or a real person, event, or place.
Foreshadowing Hinting at a future event that will occur
Figurative Language Changes to language based on descriptions and word meaning, allowing words to have deeper meanings than their literal definitions
Imagery Often a result of figurative language, it is the use of vivid, descriptive language to paint a picture in the reader’s mind.
Irony A statement that signifies the opposite of what is true or a situation that is deliberately the opposite of what one expects.
Metonymy A literary device where an object/idea takes the place of a related idea. For example, The Crown is used by Americans to refer to British royalty.
Paradox A seemingly contradictory statement or situation that is actually true.
Rhetorical Devices From repetition to rhyme, rhetorical devices are stylistic tools authors use to influence the reader.
Symbolism A literal representation of a larger, figurative idea. A recurring symbol is a motif. A motif with many instances can become a theme.

The Best Short Stories to Teach Literary Devices

A short story is an efficient and effective way to see literary devices in action! You can finish a short story in one brief sitting, an easy practice session on how authors use literary devices to create a compelling story.

These stories are in the public domain, meaning that no intellectual property rights apply to them and they can be found free to read online!

“After the Race” by James Joyce

One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Irish novelist James Joyce is known for his experimental manipulation of language and literary techniques. His 1914 book Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories about everyday, middle class people in Dublin, Ireland.

“After the Race” (1914), the fifth story in Dubliners, is one of the best short stories to teach about theme. Its thematic messaging about class and nationality is delivered through the tale of a young man’s celebratory night on the town after his French friends triumphed in a motor car race—throughout the story, readers should keep in mind Joyce’s words on wealth and luxury in relation to the protagonist.

“After the Race” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • How does Jimmy Doyle’s family impact his presence in the group?
  • How does the setting change throughout the night? What can each setting represent to Doyle?
  • What role does nationality play in the story?
  • Why is this considered a tragedy? What does this tragedy represent in the greater social/political context?

“2BR02B” by Kurt Vonnegut

What if people stopped aging? In “2BR02B” (1962), Kurt Vonnegut (author of satire and sci-fi novels such as Slaughterhouse-Five) envisions a society that has cured aging—where people live forever. When this causes a skyrocketing population, the government intervenes with population control: expecting parents must find a volunteer to die in exchange for bringing a life into the world.

Vonnegut welcomes the reader to this dark, strange world with an upbeat writing style as he details one father-to-be’s struggle as his wife expects triplets. Use the descriptions of literary devices above and these guiding questions to analyze this short story and understand the story’s meaning.

“2BR02B” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • What is the conflict of this story? Is it resolved?
  • What allusion is made with the title of the poem? Why would the author reference it?
  • Why did Vonnegut show the perspective of the painter? What is his purpose?
  • What do the characters’ appearances show about their roles in this situation? 

“Allez!” by Aleksandr I. Kuprin

Russian writer Aleksandr I. Kuprin is known for his depictions of the everyday lives and unhappy love stories of ordinary Russians. His illustrious, realist writing is full of detailed imagery that truly draws upon the readers’ senses. In “Allez!” (1889), he invites readers into the life of Melle Nora, a young gymnast who has been with the cold, demanding circus for as long as she can remember. 

While she is healing from an injury, Melle falls in love with celebrity clown Menotti, a wealthy performer who she looks up to as a superhuman being. After a year, Menotti decides he has had enough of her. Kuprin uses heartwrenching figurative language and repetition to tell Melle’s tragic story in a moving way.

“Allez!” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • In what light does Kuprin’s imagery depict the settings? How does this contrast with Melle’s experience?
  • How does Kuprin use rhetorical devices? What does “Allez!” symbolize? 
  • Where does Kuprin foreshadow Menotti’s actions? Do you think Melle is aware of it?
  • What is the role of animals in this story?

“The Amateur Gardener” by Banjo Paterson

Next in this collection of short stories to teach literary devices is a quirky one, different from all the others in this article! Considered one of the best Australian writers of its colonial period of history, Banjo Paterson was a bush poet and author who wrote about the uniqueness of the Australian natural landscape. “The Amateur Gardener” (1903) is a unique, instructive short story—it is in the second person, existing as both a how-to guide and a short story about a fictional day in the reader’s life.

Paterson gives advice about amateur gardening while telling past anecdotes and postulating future events to the readers of The Evening News, where “The Amateur Gardener” was published. This story’s use of second person point-of-view is a great way to see how this tool, generally unused in the world of fiction, can generate a unique, immersive effect.

“The Amateur Gardener” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • How does Paterson characterize flowers and plants? For what purpose(s) does he personify them?
  • What does Paterson say about the society of his time through this story through its different characters?
  • How does Peterson attempt to get through to the reader? 
  • What is the plot structure of this story? (Or the stories in the story?)

“And All the Earth a Grave” by C. C. MacApp

C. MacApp’s “And All the Earth a Grave” (1963), the second feature with a titular reference to Shakespeare in this collection of short stories to teach literary devices, is one of his many contributions to the world of science fiction stories. 

When the advertising department of a coffin manufacturer accidentally has its budget multiplied by 100, the head of advertising begins an enormous marketing campaign for its product. As a result, coffins become the hot-ticket item that holiday season, and the public can’t get enough of them. Though written over 60 years ago, this ridiculous and dark satire on the power of marketing is still relevant in today’s world. 

“And All the Earth a Grave” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • How does the company’s product develop after they reach success? Why?
  • What effect does the coffin craze have on other industries? 
  • What are the political and philosophical themes, and how does MacApp convey them?
  • Which settings and characters does MacApp focus his descriptive language on?

“About Barbers” by Mark Twain

Mark Twain is known for creating what some call “the Great American Novel”: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which are staples in middle school ELA courses (like our ELA 6 course). His writing was known for having great humor, depicting colloquial speech of his time, and creating intense plots that became pillars of American literature.

“About Barbers” (1871) is one of his many short stories, depicting the small inconveniences of the commonplace experience of going to the barbershop. This funny story has themes of human nature and how people can be insensitive to others.

“About Barbers” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • How does Twain use figurative language to create humor?
  • What else could this dynamic between the main character and the barber represent? 
  • How does Twain describe the setting? What effect does his use of literary techniques have on your mental image of the barbershop?
  • Why would Twain resolve the story the way he did? Is there any foreshadowing?

“A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin

Fiction writer Kate Chopin is one of the most famous Louisiana Creole writers. Her writing is known for breaking patriarchal myths about the nature of women by describing their real-life desires, needs, and hopes. In “A Pair of Silk Stockings” (1897), Chopin describes the frantic hustle that is the everyday life of Mrs. Sommers, a mother to several children. 

When Mrs. Sommers unexpectedly gains $15 (equivalent to nearly $200 today), her thoughts are captivated by this sum and how to spend it on clothes for her children… until she arrives at the store and a pair of stockings catch her eye. This tale, brief in words but not in thematic messaging, is an excellent short story to teach characterization especially.

“A Pair of Silk Stockings” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • What is the conflict in this story?
  • How does Chopin describe the children’s clothes Mrs. Sommers was planning to buy her children, versus how she describes the clothes she ends up buying? Why? What does the clothing symbolize?
  • Consider the connection between Mrs. Sommers and the world around her, from the people at the restaurant to the lady at the theater. How is it different from what seems to be usual for her?
  • How is Mrs. Sommers characterized? Does she change over the plot of the story?

“The Adventure of the Three Garridebs” by Arthur Conan Doyle

If you’re looking for a quick read to help you teach or learn literary devices, mysteries are the best short stories to teach plot. Mysteries like Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories task readers with piecing together a plot like a puzzle, filling plot holes with clues as they are revealed to the protagonist. 

In “The Adventure of the Three Garridebs”, two men with identical last names enlist the help of detective Holmes to find a third man named ‘Garrideb’—a fortune in prize money is on the line. With critical thinking and attention to detail, the detective discovers a hidden, murderous mystery in this challenge.

“The Adventure of the Three Garridebs” Literary Analysis Guiding Questions

  • All Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about Sherlock Holmes are in the first person, narrated by his assistant, Watson. Why would he choose to do this; what effect does the point-of-view have on the story?
  • How does Doyle use figurative language in this story?
  • How does the conflict evolve over the course of the mystery?
  • By the end of the story, how has Sherlock Holmes’ character revealed itself to Watson (and the reader)?

How to Improve Reading & Writing Skills

We hope these short stories to teach literary devices have helped you (or your students) grow a stronger understanding of story elements and literary techniques while reading an interesting tale! Literary devices help writers convey deeper meanings in their work and allow readers to understand them. If you’re looking for reading comprehension or English language instructional materials for yourself or your student, Piqosity can help!

Want help improving your reading comprehension skills? Together with our full test prep courses for the SAT, ACT, and ISEE, Piqosity offers full, affordable online ELA and Math courses that you or your child can take for enrichment, remediation, or test prep! We offer the following English classes for grades 5 through 11:

Reading novels and short stories helps improve ELA skills, which is why each of Piqosity’s ELA courses includes at least one full-length novel and several short stories as part of its selection of 150+ fiction and nonfiction passages, each paired with reading comprehension questions and answer explanation. Plus, Piqosity’s adaptive learning software tracks your improvement and guides you through topics based on your strengths and weaknesses.

The best part? Try out all of Piqosity’s features with our free community account, which feature a free mini diagnostic exam to evaluate your current ELA skills. When you’re ready to upgrade, Piqosity’s year-long accounts start at only $89.

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