Decisions in Short Stories

                  Enduring, understanding, and the changing of lives, these are all consequences of the choice. What choice might you ask? The answer is not merely one, but every choice made by any person, the choice to act or not to act, the choice to help or hinder. Everything ever done and everything left undone, all of these things affect a person’s life, present and future. Decisions, being a common thread in the patchwork of life, also hold the same necessity in literature. They shape the plot define the character and determine where the story leads.

            Many short stories are focused around an important decision, a turning point, within the plot. This often leads into the climax, and from there determines the conclusion. For example in the story Boar Hunt a small group of buddies decides to go out on none other than a boar hunt. They grab a few rifles and some ammo, go into the jungle see a boar and shoot it. This might seem fine, but it is this careless decision that seals three of the men’s fates. Another choice reference is in The Monkey’s Paw where a simple seemingly harmless decision ends in tragedy. At times there are good decisions made that in any other situation would have a positive outcome, but are restrained by the extenuating circumstances of the environment in which they are made. A primary example of this is within The Interlopers where two men decide to make amends regarding a feud going back generations shortly before getting eaten by wolves. Lastly is the actual happy outcome of an important decision. Chee’s Daughter is a good demonstration of this because as a result of the main character’s decision he gets his daughter back.

            As it is true that the decisions are vital to the outcomes of the stories, the reason or motive of the character behind the decision is often times just as important. There are many motives behind action, or inaction of a character within a story. First of these is the drive to fulfill basic human needs such as nurture, achievement, and aggression. The novella Anthem is the perfect example for the need for achievement, and aggression this, in the sense of complete psychological restraint. The main character being as intelligent as he is has to either have a psychological breakdown, or break out of the constraints of his current situation. Other times decisions are made because there simply are no other viable options, Such as in The Interlopers where the two men are stuck under the fallen tree. Now they could have just stayed there, stubborn, and refused to discuss their issues, but then they would have gotten nowhere or so they thought. Sometimes decisions are made merely upon the desire to belong, such as in Through the Tunnel where a young boy risks everything to live up to what he thought were expectations by older kids. Lastly is the snap decision for physical self-preservation, this is demonstrated in A Sound of Thunder where Eckles freaks out and strays from the path and ruins the future. Another minor example of this is when he makes a last minute decision to leap to safety, and lives to tell the tale.

            The third and final aspect of decisions in what happens as a result of the choice, good or bad. Some seemingly bad decisions lead surprisingly fortunate outcomes, whereas harmless even silly actions lead to tragedy. An example of this is in The Monkey’s Paw where a goofy wish goes terribly wrong, and the result is a broken family insane wife and dead son. Also in the story Contents of the Dead Mans Pocket a mans decision to risk his life for an insignificant piece of paper finally retrieves it, and then it just blows out the window with all his efforts for nothing. Another story where this is demonstrated is in A Sound of Thunder where because of his decision, which doesn’t seem so bad he gets his brains blown out. Lucky for readers all around the world this grizzly misfortune is the exception rather than the rule in outcomes in short stories. For example in Into the Tunnel the boy accomplishes his goal, and learns an important lesson in pride and doing it by himself. The story Chee’s Daughter is a sterling example of a man making the right decision and sticking with it, and through his hard work and undying loyalty he is able to save his poor daughter from the clutches of selfishness. Another story in which there is a positive outcome is in A White Heron where a young girl decides to withhold information, and an innocent life is ripped from the clutches of certain death.

            Through all this, the decision, the motive, and the aftermath, there is one conclusion that can be drawn. It is that whoever the character is, wherever he may be, or what ever he may be put through the fact is that decisions are truly what shape a person’s character as perfectly summarized by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore