These short stories center on characters faced with important decisions, often under pressure or with limited information. Some stories focus on the moment of choice itself, carefully laying out the options and the reasoning behind them. Others look back on decisions already made and explore their consequences, intended or unintended.
Across these stories, choices are shaped by circumstance, power, fear, loyalty, morality, or necessity. In many cases, there is no clearly “right” option, only outcomes that reveal something about character and responsibility. Together, the stories show how a single decision can alter lives, relationships, or entire communities.
Short Stories About Choices & Decisions
“A & P” by John Updike
Three young women in bathing suits enter a grocery store, drawing attention from customers and staff. Nineteen-year-old cashier Sammy watches them closely, especially the one he calls Queenie, and begins to weigh his response to the situation.
“Trail of the Green Blazer” by R.K. Narayan
In the marketplace, Raju notices a man in a green blazer, who stands out among the crowd. He’s an attractive target, so Raju starts following him at a prudent distance. (Summary of “Trail of the Green Blazer”)
“Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat” by Russell Banks
During a heat wave, a man and woman go out on a boat and discuss a major decision that the woman has made. (Summary)
“The Book of Martha” by Octavia E. Butler
Martha suddenly finds herself with God, surrounded by grayness. God has selected her for a job—to help humankind through its tumultuous adolescence and enable it to live better. She can ask questions and think about her decisions as long as she wants. It’s an overwhelming job with many potential pitfalls.
For a relevant anthology, check out No Easy Answers: Short Stories About Teenagers Making Tough Choices. (Amazon)
“A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry
Jimmy Valentine, an expert safe-cracker, is released from jail after serving nearly ten months. He goes to see Mike Dolan at his café; Jimmy’s room is upstairs. Starting a week after Jimmy’s release, there’s a string of burglaries. When Jimmy starts going straight he’s faced with a dilemma.
“Eveline” by James Joyce
A nineteen-year-old woman is going to leave home with a sailor. She thinks about her life, mulling over the decision she has to make.
“The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad
A new ship’s captain encounters a fugitive sailor who has escaped arrest. Bringing the man aboard, the captain must decide whether to protect him or turn him in, a choice that tests his authority and sense of identity. (Read “The Secret Sharer”)
“Boule de Suif” by Guy de Maupassant
The Prussian army advances while the French army retreats. Ten passengers are given clearance to board a carriage and leave the city, with the possibility of crossing into England. Among the passengers is Boule de Suif, a prostitute who has to make a moral decision that will affect the whole group.
“Button, Button” by Richard Matheson
A hand addressed package is left at the door of Arthur and Norma Lewis. Inside is a contraption with a button on it. A Mr. Steward calls on them and explains its amazing potential.
“Curly Red” by Joyce Carol Oates
Lili Rose wasn’t allowed to return home until her father was weakened and dying at seventy-three. She was exiled at thirteen, sent to live with an aunt and uncle. Things changed when a local boy was attacked and beaten, and died soon after from his injuries. Lili Rose overheard some conversation and made a decision that alienated her from her family.
This story can be read in the preview of I Am No One You Know: And Other Stories. (9% in)
“The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton
A long time ago, a barbaric king had a peculiar method of putting criminals on trial. They’re placed in a public arena and brought before the king. Opposite him are two doors. Behind one is a beautiful woman; behind the other, a hungry tiger. The accuser must choose.
“And Death His Legacy” by George R. R. Martin
The Prophet, Norvel Arlington Beauregard, comes out of the South preaching Americanism. Many supporters rally around him. Meanwhile, Maximilian de Laurier is near death with terminal cancer. He’s a wealthy, influential man but feels he hasn’t accomplished anything significant.
“A Blow for Freedom” by Lawrence Block
Elliot returns to New York by plane. He’s a bit concerned picking up his bag because it contains a gun he bought in Miami. He waits until he gets home to check it. He remembers his experience with Huebner, who helped him pick out the gun and showed him how to use it.
“The Photograph” by Will Weaver
Bobby Johnson tells some teammates that his father happened to see the phys ed teacher, Ms. Jenson, skinny-dipping in the lake by her home. Lance, the quarterback, tells Bobby and the narrator, who’s a photographer, to stay and talk about it. He has a plan.
“Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
The new headmaster of an African school wants to modernize it and rid the locals of their superstitious beliefs. He blocks off part of the school grounds, even though that means blocking a path with great religious significance for the locals.
“This Telling” by Cheryl Strayed
Geraldine, seventeen-years-old, tells her boyfriend Jim, nineteen, that she’s pregnant. He’s about to be sent off to Vietnam. Jim knows someone who knows a doctor who can help, for a hundred dollars. Geraldine is hesitant but they make the arrangements.
“The Guest” by Albert Camus
An Arab prisoner is brought to the home of a teacher, Daru, who’s supposed to deliver the man to police headquarters. He doesn’t want to do it, but the Arab’s soldier escort leaves him there anyway.
“Almost Home” by Barry McKinley
Slattery and Tarrant have Ali in custody and are escorting him out of Ireland. He entered the country at seventeen. He posed as a student and did various odd jobs.
“Happy Event” by Nadine Gordimer
Ella is recovering from a medical procedure which she had so she and her husband could take their planned six month vacation. Before they leave they have to deal with the disagreements between their gardener and newly-hired maid; she has an important decision to make.
“All About Suicide” by Luisa Valenzuela
Ismael takes a gun from a desk drawer and fires it. The narrator jumps in time to give us more information. (Read “All About Suicide”) (PDF Pg. 11)
“Daughter of Invention” by Julia Alvarez
A Dominican-American mother, Laura, sketches inventions at night before going to bed. Her daughter, Yolanda, writes poetry and is chosen to write a speech that she will read to the class. The family is adjusting to American culture.
“The Daffodil Sky” by H. E. Bates
A man returns to a town after many years away. He’s looking for Cora Whitehead, a woman he used to see. We hear the story of their relationship and of a decision he made that changed everything irrevocably.
“Silence” by Leonid Andreyev
Father Ignatius and his wife try to find out what is wrong with Vera, their daughter, who stays in bed. She has recently returned from St. Petersburg, a trip her father didn’t approve of. Her condition has a powerful effect on everyone. (Read “Silence”)
“Old Woman Magoun” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Magoun has raised her granddaughter, Lily, and kept her sheltered from other people. One day, when she’s fourteen, Lily is sent into town where she encounters her father and an acquaintance of his. They make her uncomfortable. That night, her father goes to Magoun and says she has one week to turn his daughter over to him.
“Death of a Tsotsi” by Alan Paton
In a South African reformatory, Spike weighs the pull of gang loyalty against family expectations. He knows his decision will shape the rest of his life.
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
A colonial policeman is pressured by a hostile crowd to deal with a rogue elephant. Despite his doubts, he must decide whether to act against his own judgment.
“Another Part of the Sky” by Nadine Gordimer
Collins is the white principal of a South African reformatory for black youths. In his quest to reach the inmates, he’s made a major change, replacing the high walls surrounding the grounds with pathways and flower beds. One of his boys runs off, and is the primary suspect in a beating and robbery.
“Hands Off” by Edward Everett Hale
The narrator exists outside the limits of space and time. While watching one of Earth’s epochs, he observed an injustice. Before he could help, his mentor forbade him from interfering. He took the narrator to another system where he could see the results of helping.
“The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin
A pilot discovers a stowaway aboard a ship carrying vital medical supplies. With fuel calculated to the smallest margin, he faces a decision governed by unyielding physical laws.
Stories about choices and consequences often gain their power from restraint. Rather than offering clear judgments, they allow readers to witness how decisions unfold and what they cost. Sometimes the consequences are immediate; other times they surface slowly, long after the choice has been made.
The stories collected here demonstrate how short fiction can distill complex moral and personal dilemmas into moments of decision, and how those moments continue to resonate long after the story ends.