A well written short story is made up of certain key elements. It should have a plot that is both intriguing and not difficult to follow. A central theme that makes the reader think is also important. Vivid description and round characters are necessary elements as well. A story with all that is one that brings in the reader and makes them want to know the end. “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story” does exactly that. “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story” is the best short story because of the literary elements the author, Russell Banks, uses.
“Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story” has a narration that is told from both first person and third person that makes the structure of the plot the way it is. Since the narrator is telling the story about himself in the third person, while sometimes (as if he can’t help himself) interjecting first person thoughts and comments, it means the plot is told as a story in chronological order following one character. This makes the reader want to see what Ron would do next with Sarah and made it simple to follow.
This short story has a couple very deep, prominent themes that encourages the reader to think more about the messages. Unrequited love by Sarah shows that it won’t work because they don’t love each other equally. The other important theme is how shallow affection creates broken hearts. Ron goes after Sarah as a challenge and new experience. A good looking man such as himself, as he states many times, could get anyone so Sarah, “the most unattractive woman he ha[d] ever seen”, just served as a new type of person (Banks 55). This, in the end, causes Sarah heartbreak because he gets bored with her. The two themes share the motif of love, which I like to have in stories.
Banks uses his writing to create a full circle of described setting and two round characters. Description such as “she’s wearing heavy, tan cowboy boots and a dark brown, suede cowboy hat, lumpy jeans and a yellow tee shirt that clings to her arms, breasts, and round belly like the skin of a sausage” helps the reader picture the setting and characters much better (Banks 55). Banks uses picture conjuring description on flat characters too, which adds to the story. He says about Sarah’s kids, who the reader never meet, that they are “blond, round-faced, clean and utterly ordinary-looking, their pleasant faces glance, as instructed, slightly off camera, as if they are trying to remember the name of the capital of Montana” (Banks 64). This lifelike description coupled with characters and settings makes for a story full of imagery.
Russell Banks uses description, of both setting and characters, theme, and a well structured plot to create the enjoyable short story of “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story”. Without description, the story would be bland and boring. Without themes, the reader would not think differently about love or specifically the love between Ron and Sarah. Without the plot that is given, the story would be less readable. Banks knew all of this and that is why he used these important elements to create an intriguing short story.
Your introduction is thorough in describing the literary elements that then allows you to have more detail in the body paragraphs. I think some examples for the paragraph on point of view would help strengthen your argument as the current wording can seem broad. Also, more reasoning behind your last statement in the second paragraph would help create a fuller argument. I think more analysis would help in paragraph three because the quote seems out of balance with the rest of the paragraph. I really like the examples you chose for the fourth paragraph, I agree that the imagery in this story was very lifelike. Maybe more detail on why the description helps the story would have improved your argument. I like your mini counterargument at the end that reminds the reader of the importance of each element.
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