I'm starting to come to the conclusion, that, well there isn't an exact precise boundary between novel and short story. Like (was it Chelsea?) said, it seems to me that the definitions of both are created culturally. But a much broader, vaguer description came to me as I read our three short stories.
Someone said in class Tuesday that story-telling is a natural, human characteristic. How many times have we had to sit through a story from a older relative, or perhaps had to empathize with a friend as she went on about something she realized. This word, "realize" is so key in understanding a short story. When someone is sharing a story about something that happened, whether it was years ago or just the other day, there was something that made them remember, and what I've noticed it is because that person came to a new understanding of something. When the couple in "The Gift of the Magi" realized the irony of their situation, it was worthy to tell, because they both discovered something new...that epiphany we have been talking about. Now what a novel or novella on the other hand seems to do, is provide not only an epiphany or realization of the characters, it provides all the detail for the reader to lead into some climax or obstacle and show the character(s) coming to some life altering conclusion about how to deal with said obstacle. Perhaps it is like the difference of catching up with Mom and she relates some noteworthy experience she had at work, or watching a movie, where each detail is constructed for us.
Tags: Rebecca, Short story