Loading…
Reload document 
Open in new tab This short story was written as one of my assessments for a take-home literature assessment that I completed in term two. We had a lot of freedom when creating this piece, and we could choose any topic that we would like, as long as we offered a representation of one of the following:
- To challenge a particular stereotype of a group
- To reinforce or challenge a dominant attitude or value in society
- To represent an experience to create empathy/understanding
- To represent an issue in a certain way
I chose to represent an experience to create empathy/understanding, and I focused on the topic of youth homelessness and “invisible groups”. I chose this because homelessness is an issue that I have a particular interest in, and I think that there are thousands of youth with potential that are not given opportunities because of their circumstances. I also included a representation of older generations, because I feel that often these two groups of people are invisible or forgotten in our society.
Writing a short story had some difficulties, in particular choosing a topic that remained in a short period of time however managing to develop the story enough that there is meaning behind the story. In the past when I’ve written short stories I’ve chosen longer time periods in order to better develop my characters but I found that keeping the story to a few minutes works best in order to keep the story engaging. I think that next time I would modify my story so that it stayed in the present moment and didn’t focus so much on the past. I didn’t use a lot of dialogue, as I thought it interrupted the flow of the story. Using more dialogue I think could make the story more engaging and provide better insight into the character’s mannerisms and thoughts. The word limit of this assessment made it quite difficult to develop deeper ideas, but I think that dialogue would be useful to break up some of the larger paragraphs that I have.
Things I did well were using literary devices, and leaving space for the reader’s imagination. I liked the way that I was able to write about addiction, shame and regret, and although it is not clear whether or not the boy gets on the bus, his obvious internal turmoil and questioning is engaging for the reader. The literary devices I used were:
- Imagery: The text employs vivid imagery to describe the scene, characters, and emotions. Examples include “restless hands fidgeted,” “feet had been stuck in concrete,” and “warm embrace of his own mother.”
- Symbolism: The bus stop and the bus become symbolic of the protagonist’s internal struggle and his desire for change. The bus represents a path to redemption and transformation.
- Metaphor: The phrase “glued to the seat” serves as a metaphor for the protagonist’s internal conflict and indecision.
- Flashback: The protagonist’s memories of his past actions provide insight into his character and motivations, adding depth to the story.
- Foreshadowing: The repetition of the phrase “get on the bus” creates a sense of anticipation and foreshadows the eventual resolution of the protagonist’s internal conflict
I fostered an emotional connection between the reader and the character by creating a flawed character who has made bad decisions, but wants to do better and get help. The boy undergoes a subtle but significant character arc as he shifts from internal conflict to a moment of decision and action, which makes him relatable to the audience.
Next time I would try and add more dialogue in order to break up longer paragraphs, clarify and streamline some of my sentences and enhance imagery and description. Overall I am proud of how this short story turned out, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing it. It helped because I started writing this story early and then had adequate timing to draft and edit.