Comparing The Lady With The Dog And Before The Law

The short story is a literary genre that has been evolving since its inception. The works of Anton Chekhov, Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka are among the most notable examples of the short story genre. In this essay, we will compare and contrast the stories "The Lady with the Dog," "The Garden of Forking Paths," and "Before the Law," and discuss how they can be used to understand the development of the short story genre.

"The Lady with the Dog" is a short story written by Anton Chekhov and first published in 1899. The story follows the character of Dmitry Dmitritch Gurov, a man who is bored with his life and is looking for a change. He travels to Yalta, where he meets a woman named Anna Sergeyevna. They start an affair, which leads to a

The story follows the character of Dr. Yu Tsun, a Chinese spy who is working for the Germans during World War I. He is given a mission to locate and destroy a secret British artillery park. However, he is captured by the British, and the story follows his attempt to escape while reflecting on the nature of time and the possibilities of multiple futures.

"Before the Law" is a short story written by Franz Kafka and first published in 1915. The story follows the character of a man who seeks entrance to the law but is denied access by a gatekeeper. The man spends his entire life waiting for permission to enter, but the gatekeeper continually denies him access. The story is a commentary on the absurdity of bureaucracy and the futility of the human condition.

One of the most significant developments in the short story genre is the emergence of the psychological aspect of character development. This is exemplified in "The Lady with the Dog." Chekhov's story depicts the inner struggles of Dmitry, who initially views his affair with Anna as a meaningless fling. However, as the story progresses, Dmitry realizes that he has fallen in love with Anna and that their relationship is more than just a temporary distraction from his mundane life. This psychological depth is a hallmark of Chekhov's writing, and it has since become an essential aspect of the short story

This is demonstrated in "The Garden of Forking Paths." Borges' story follows a non-linear narrative, with the protagonist reflecting on the possibilities of multiple futures. The story's structure reflects the complexity of the human experience and the many paths that life can take. This narrative experimentation has since become a staple of the short story genre, with authors often using unconventional structures to explore the themes and motifs of their works.

Finally, the short story genre has evolved to incorporate existential and absurdist themes. This is exemplified in Kafka's "Before the Law." The story's protagonist spends his entire life waiting for permission to enter the law, but he is denied access by the gatekeeper. The story reflects the absurdity of bureaucracy and the human condition, where individuals are often denied access to the very things they seek. This existentialist perspective has since become an essential aspect of the short story genre, with many authors exploring the human experience through the lens of absurdity and