“ A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage.” - Lorrie Moore In John Steinbeck 's The chrysanthemums, a housewife called Elisa wants to change her life. When she meets a rugged stranger by her garden, she feels a connection and a craving to live how he does, a traveler. Although she does not have a love affair with this stranger, the language makes it evident he and his lifestyle intrigues her. She wants to leave her mundane life and husband to break the assigned role she was given as a housewife. She “wishes women could [live on the road]”(455). But the man proceeded to claim “It ain’t the right kind of life for a woman”(455). This agitated Elisa and made her less fond of the stranger. Elisa was going into town with her husband. When he said he didn 't think she would like watching boxing, she began to “cry weakly--like an old woman”(458). “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.” - Edgar Allan Poe In The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe created an eerie, ominous scene. Throughout the story, the words get deeper, more evil, and foreshadow a lethal ending. At the beginning, Montresor “vowed revenge”(390) against Fortunato and swore he “ would be avenged”(390). He was “requesting [Fortunato] to be cautious as he followed”(392) although he was leading him deeper into the dank tunnels. Poe places irony into the story to build the grotesque mood. Fortunato says:“‘The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I