This page contains appropriate examples of short stories for college level analysis and discussion. Each story is part of the English literary canon and is suitable for deep reading and studying the usual story elements: plot, point of view, character, setting, tone and style, theme, and symbol. They’ve been selected for academic relevance, teaching frequency and depth of literary elements. Most of the short stories on this page are well known, so you’ll be able to find a lot of explanatory notes on most of them to supplement your understanding, and many of them have links to a summary and analysis.
Many of the short stories for High School are also suitable for college students.
Short Stories for College Students
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Mama is an African-American woman living in the Deep South with her daughter, Maggie. Her other daughter, Dee, an educated woman who’s drawn to a traditional African identity, is coming for a visit.
“Everyday Use” is commonly taught in college literature courses for its nuanced examination of heritage, identity, and cultural authenticity. Told from the perspective of Mama, the story explores conflicting ideas about what it means to honor one’s past, particularly through the contrast between Dee’s performative embrace of heritage and Maggie’s lived, everyday connection to family history.
In academic discussions, the story is often analyzed through African American studies, feminist criticism, and debates about the relationship between tradition and self-fashioning. Walker’s use of first-person narration invites close attention to voice and reliability, while the symbolic role of the quilts makes the story especially effective for essays on material culture, ownership, and the tension between preservation and use. (“Everyday Use” summary & analysis for college essays)
“The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant
Mathilde is married to a minor government official. They’re of modest means, but Mathilde has expensive tastes. When they get invited to a party, she borrows a necklace from a rich friend.
A classic example of realist short fiction, “The Necklace” is especially effective in college literature courses for its layered use of irony, social class critique, and character psychology. The story follows Mathilde Loisel, whose prideful desire for status and admiration drives a single decision that alters her life, making the text ideal for close reading and argumentative essays.
In an academic setting, “The Necklace” is often used to explore situational irony, the relationship between materialism and identity, and the moral ambiguity of its ending. It’s a rare story with a twist ending that would be almost as good without it. Maupassant’s restrained prose and clear narrative arc also make the story accessible while still supporting sophisticated analysis, particularly in discussions of realism and 19th-century French society. (Read “The Necklace”)
“Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield
A middle-aged woman takes a weekly Sunday walk. She likes to observe and listen to people, but she overhears something that upsets her.
Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” is a modernist short story frequently taught at the college level for its subtle treatment of interiority, social isolation, and narrative perspective. Centered on a woman’s weekly ritual in a public park, the story invites close analysis of how perception, imagination, and self-deception shape identity, making it particularly effective for discussions of free indirect discourse and psychological realism.
In literature courses, “Miss Brill” is often paired with texts that examine alienation and the fragility of self-constructed meaning. The story’s understated symbolism (especially the fur stole) and its quiet but devastating ending support sophisticated interpretations without relying on overt plot twists, making it well suited for essays on modernist technique, unreliable self-narration, and the emotional consequences of social exclusion. (Read “Miss Brill”)
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
A woman receives the news that her husband has been killed in a train accident. She processes the news over the next hour, experiencing a range of emotions.
“The Story of an Hour” is frequently taught in college literature courses for its concise but powerful exploration of marriage, autonomy, and female identity in the late nineteenth century. Chopin’s tightly controlled narrative makes the story especially effective for close reading, as nearly every image and emotional shift contributes to its central tension between social constraint and personal freedom.
In academic discussions, the story is often analyzed through feminist criticism, situational irony, and the use of symbolism, particularly the open window and the language of awakening. Its brevity makes it a popular choice for exams and short essays, supporting debate about intention, repression, and the limits placed on women’s inner lives. The story works well in comparison with other texts that question domestic roles and institutional marriage. (Read “The Story of an Hour”)
“The Zebra Storyteller” by Spencer Holst
A Siamese cat learns to speak to Zebras, taking advantage of the shock of it to tie them up and kill them.
“The Zebra Storyteller” is a short fable frequently taught in college literature courses for its exploration of imagination, belief, and the practical function of storytelling. In academic discussions, the story is commonly analyzed as an allegory about intellectual flexibility and the survival value of imagination. The zebra storyteller’s willingness to consider what others dismiss as impossible allows him to see through deception, while the herd’s rigid thinking leaves them vulnerable. The story is often used in courses to prompt discussion about myth-making, critical thinking, and the role of storytellers in helping societies anticipate threats that lie outside conventional expectations. (Summary of “The Zebra Storyteller”)
“Blue Winds Dancing” by Tom Whitecloud
A young American Indian man, lonely and disillusioned with college, leaves for home to be with his own people again.
“Blue Winds Dancing” is commonly taught in college literature courses for its exploration of cultural identity, assimilation, and the tension between traditional values and modern education. The story follows a Native American college student who returns home and finds himself caught between the intellectual frameworks he has learned and the lived wisdom of his community.
In academic analysis, the story is often discussed through the lenses of Native American literature, postcolonial theory, and identity formation. The narrator’s internal conflict highlights the emotional cost of cultural displacement, while the symbolic contrast between academic knowledge and traditional understanding invites close reading. The story is especially effective for essays on cultural hybridity, alienation, and the limits of Western rationalism when applied outside its original context. (Summary of “Blue Winds Dancing”)
“20/20” by Linda Brewer
Bill and Ruthie are on a road trip. Bill finds her conversation simplistic; she refuses to argue anything. She says what she sees along the way.
In academic discussion, the piece is commonly read as a study of perception and judgment with the contrast between what Bill and Ruthie see around them and how they see each other. (Summary & analysis of “20/20”)
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A woman’s husband, a doctor, confines her to the upstairs bedroom of their summer house. He diagnoses her with a “hysterical tendency” and “nervous depression”. She chronicles her confinement in her journal; the treatment doesn’t have a positive effect on her condition.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” is a foundational text in college literature courses for its powerful critique of gender roles, medical authority, and the suppression of women’s intellectual autonomy. Presented as a series of journal entries, the story traces a woman’s mental deterioration while undergoing the rest cure, allowing close analysis of how confinement, enforced passivity, and patriarchal control contribute to psychological collapse.
In academic study, the story is frequently examined through feminist criticism, narrative reliability, and symbolism. The wallpaper itself functions as a central metaphor for domestic imprisonment and distorted perception, while the first-person narration invites debate about sanity, authority, and resistance. The story’s ending is often discussed as both a moment of breakdown and a form of rebellion, making it especially effective for essays on power, voice, and the relationship between mental health and social constraint. (Summary of “The Yellow Wallpaper”)
“King of the Bingo Game” by Ralph Ellison
A black man sits through a movie, waiting for the bingo game to follow. He’s very hungry but knows he can’t ask to share anyone’s food, because things in New York aren’t like back South. He’s unemployed and has no money. He needs to win the bingo jackpot so he can take his sick wife to the doctor.
“King of the Bingo Game” is frequently taught in college literature courses for its intense portrayal of alienation, powerlessness, and racial identity in twentieth-century America. The story follows an unnamed Black man whose desperate fixation on a bingo wheel becomes a symbolic struggle for control within a society that denies him agency. Ellison’s use of stream-of-consciousness narration and heightened symbolism makes the story well suited for close reading and discussion of modernist technique.
In academic analysis, the story is often examined through African American studies and existential themes, particularly the relationship between chance, illusion, and social constraint. The story is especially effective for essays on identity, spectacle, and the limits of individual will under oppressive structures. (Summary & analysis of “King of the Bingo Game”)
“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
A Southern spinster, Emily Grierson, has died. She had been a recluse, so the townspeople are curious about her and her house. The narrator recounts episodes from her life.
“A Rose for Emily” is a staple of college literature curricula for its complex narrative structure and exploration of memory, tradition, and social change in the American South. Told through a collective first-person voice, the story traces Emily Grierson’s life as her town struggles to reconcile the remnants of aristocratic privilege with the pressures of modernity.
In academic study, the story is commonly analyzed for its non-linear timeline, unreliable narration, and gothic elements. Faulkner’s manipulation of time and perspective invites discussion of how communities construct meaning and justify moral blindness. The story’s shocking conclusion makes it particularly effective for essays on decay, repression, and the consequences of resisting social change. (Summary & analysis of “A Rose for Emily”)
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver
Two married couples sit in the McGinnis’s apartment, drinking and talking about real love. They use their own, and second-hand experiences, to try to define it.
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” is frequently taught in college courses for its minimalist style and exploration of communication and emotional uncertainty. Structured as a conversation between two couples, the story reveals how definitions of love vary and often fail to align with lived experience.
In academic study, the story is commonly analyzed through formalist and postmodern lenses, particularly Carver’s use of dialogue, omission, and ambiguity. The lack of narrative resolution encourages close attention to what remains unsaid, making the story well suited for essays on intimacy, language, and emotional distance in contemporary fiction. (Themes & analysis of “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”)
“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
An elderly African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson, walks through the Mississippi forest to get into town. She encounters many obstacles along the way.
“A Worn Path” is a staple of college literature courses for its portrayal of perseverance, dignity, and the complexity of moral judgment. The story follows Phoenix Jackson, an elderly Black woman undertaking a long journey through the Mississippi countryside, a journey that gradually reveals layers of sacrifice, endurance, and quiet heroism.
In academic analysis, the story is commonly discussed in relation to symbolism, race, and Southern realism. Phoenix’s path functions as both a literal and metaphorical journey, while Welty’s restrained narration resists sentimentalizing hardship. The story supports essays on resilience, ethical ambiguity, and the intersection of individual agency and systemic limitation.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
A rebellious fifteen-year-old girl encounters an older man in a parking lot. He later shows up at her place when she’s home alone to ask her to go for a ride with him.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is frequently taught in college literature courses for its unsettling portrayal of vulnerability, power, and manipulation. The story focuses on a teenage girl’s encounter with Arnold Friend, a figure whose menace lies as much in psychological control as in implied violence, making the narrative especially effective for close reading and thematic analysis.
In academic discussion, the story is often examined through feminist criticism, psychological interpretation, and symbolic readings. Arnold Friend’s shifting identity and language invite debate about realism versus allegory, while the story’s ambiguous ending encourages multiple interpretations. The story supports essays on adolescence, coercion, and the nature of evil in everyday settings.
“The Swimmer” by John Cheever
On a summer Sunday, Neddy is hanging out at the Westerhazy’s pool. They’re talking about how they drank too much last night. He realizes he could make his way home by swimming the length of the pools in his neighborhood.
“The Swimmer” is a staple of college literature courses for its blend of realism and allegory in depicting denial, time, and self-deception. The story follows Neddy Merrill on a journey that gradually reveals emotional emptiness and the collapse of self-image.
In academic analysis, the story is commonly discussed in terms of symbolism, narrative progression, and social critique. The pools function as markers of time and memory, while Cheever’s controlled shifts in tone invite discussion of fantasy versus reality. The story is especially effective for essays on illusion, suburban identity, and psychological disintegration.
“The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence
A middle-class woman, successful but perpetually short of money, lives with her husband and two children. She is unlucky, but her son isn’t: when he rides his rocking-horse, he’s able to work himself into a state where he can pick the winner of a horse race.
“The Rocking-Horse Winner” is often taught in college courses for its psychological intensity and critique of materialism and emotional neglect. The story centers on a young boy whose obsessive quest to bring financial luck to his family reveals the destructive effects of parental dissatisfaction and unspoken desire.
In academic analysis, the story is frequently examined through psychoanalytic and symbolic readings. The rocking horse functions as a disturbing emblem of compulsive striving, while the parents’ emotional distance highlights the cost of valuing wealth over human connection. The story supports essays on greed, childhood vulnerability, and the intersection of love and ambition.
“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway
The Macomber’s are an American couple on an African safari. They have a guide, Wilson, a professional hunter, who will lead their outing. It is revealed that Francis had panicked in an earlier hunt when a wounded lion charged at him.
“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is commonly included in college literature courses for its exploration of masculinity, courage, and moral ambiguity. Set during a big-game safari in Africa, the story examines shifting power dynamics between Francis Macomber, his wife Margot, and the professional hunter Wilson.
In academic discussions, the story is often analyzed for Hemingway’s iceberg style, gender politics, and the ambiguous nature of its ending. Macomber’s moment of self-realization raises questions about bravery and identity, while Margot’s final act invites debate over intention and responsibility. The story is especially effective for essays on modern masculinity and narrative restraint.
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
An extended family is headed to Florida for a vacation. The grandmother wants to go to Tennessee instead, so she talks about an escaped murderer—The Misfit—who is suspected to be on his way to Florida. Despite her efforts, her son Bailey is set on going to Florida.
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a core text in college literature courses for its exploration of morality, violence, and religious belief. Through a family road trip that ends in catastrophe, O’Connor exposes the limitations of conventional goodness and forces readers to confront unsettling questions about grace and redemption.
In academic study, the story is commonly analyzed through Southern Gothic conventions and theological frameworks. The Misfit functions as a philosophical counterpoint to the grandmother, while the story’s sudden violence disrupts sentimental moral assumptions. The ending is frequently debated in essays that examine grace, hypocrisy, and the possibility of moral awakening under extreme circumstances.
“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
A woman and a blind man have kept in contact for ten years, mailing tapes to each other. His wife has recently died, so he’s going to visit her family. On the way, he’s going to spend a night at the woman’s place with her new husband. Her husband isn’t looking forward to the visit.
“Cathedral” is widely taught in college literature courses for its depiction of personal transformation through human connection. The story follows a narrator whose hostility and insecurity give way to an unexpected moment of understanding during an encounter with a blind man, making it a strong example of character development through experience rather than insight alone.
In academic discussions, the story is often analyzed for its symbolism, first-person narration, and treatment of perception. The act of drawing the cathedral becomes a metaphor for shared experience and expanded awareness, while the narrator’s limited voice invites close attention to bias and self-discovery. The story is particularly effective for essays on empathy, vision, and the limits of language. (Read “Cathedral”)
“Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason
Leroy has been off work for four months since getting hurt. His wife, Norma Jean, supports them both by working at a drugstore. Leroy is glad to be home with his wife, but he’s worried that she’s drawing away from him.
“Shiloh” is often taught in college literature courses for its realistic portrayal of marital disintegration and changing gender roles in late twentieth-century America. The story follows Norma Jean and Leroy Moffitt as they attempt to reconnect after a life-altering accident, revealing the quiet erosion of their relationship.
In academic discussions, the story is frequently examined through realism, feminism, and cultural studies. Mason’s restrained prose and focus on everyday detail highlight the gap between traditional expectations and emerging independence. The ambiguous ending supports essays on identity, domestic space, and the limits of reconciliation.
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In a small town, an old man with wings washes up on shore. There are many ideas about what he is and where he’s from. A couple takes him and locks him up on their property.
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is frequently taught in college literature courses as an accessible introduction to magical realism and its challenge to rational interpretation. The story presents extraordinary elements in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, inviting readers to examine how communities respond to mystery, suffering, and the unfamiliar rather than focusing on the supernatural itself.
In academic analysis, the story is often discussed in terms of ambiguity, institutional cruelty, and the failure of empathy. The old man’s wings provoke curiosity, exploitation, and eventual indifference, revealing how social systems reduce wonder and pain to spectacle. The story is well suited for essays on magical realism, narrative detachment, and the moral consequences of normalization.
“In Broad Daylight” by Ha Jin
Two boys rush to the home of Mu Ying on Eternal Way. A crowd is gathering there, as Mu Ying is going to be paraded through town as a punishment. Grandma remembers the old way of punishing an adulteress and wants her to be executed. Mu Ying, surrounded by Red Guards, is led out through her gate.
In academic analysis, this story is frequently discussed through political, ethical, and cultural lenses. Ha Jin’s restrained style and neutral narration highlight the normalization of violence and the pressures of communal duty. The story supports essays on authoritarian systems, moral complicity, and the ways social order is maintained through ritualized punishment.
“How” by Lorrie Moore
The narrator describes the progression of a relationship, with some possible variations, from the first meeting to its dissolution.
In academic discussion, this story is often analyzed for its unconventional point of view and postmodern techniques. Moore’s use of the second person creates both intimacy and detachment, inviting debate about self-alienation and narrative voice. The story is especially effective for essays on form, emotional performance, and the ways language can both shield and expose personal pain.
“A Hunger Artist” by Franz Kafka
A hunger artist—a professional faster—puts on public fasting exhibitions. The public responds enthusiastically at first, but eventually loses interest.
“A Hunger Artist” is frequently taught in college literature courses for its stark examination of alienation, art, and suffering. The story centers on a professional faster whose commitment to his art isolates him from society, raising questions about authenticity, recognition, and the meaning of sacrifice.
In academic discussions, the story is often analyzed through existential and modernist lenses. Kafka’s detached narration and bleak symbolism highlight the gap between individual obsession and public understanding. The story supports essays on performance, alienation, and the tension between inner compulsion and external validation. (Read “A Hunger Artist”)
There are many other excellent short stories in English for college students. This page is just a sampling of stories, offered as a starting point.
For stories that are about college see: Campus | Academic