Dickens & Rumi

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Great American Short Stories from Hawthorne to Hemingway

Corinne Demas; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Edgar Allan Poe; Herman Melville; Mark Twain; Ambrose Bierce; Edith Wharton; Jack London; F. Scott Fitzgerald · 2004

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Great American Short Stories from Hawthorne to Hemingway by Corinne Demas; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Edgar Allan Poe; Herman Melville; Mark Twain; Ambrose Bierce; Edith Wharton; Jack London; F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Frightening scenes, Romance; positive qualities include Creativity & curiosity, Educational value.

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character4/5
  • Frightening scenes3/5
  • Romance3/5

Strongest positives

  • Creativity & curiosity5/5
  • Educational value4/5
  • Courage & resilience3/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5
Why this rating?

Death is a recurring theme, including murder, war deaths, executions, accidents, and grief in some prominent stories.

Graphic injury2/5
Why this rating?

Minor, non-gratuitous descriptions of injury or decay appear in select gothic tales.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Language is period-appropriate and generally mild by modern standards, though occasionally formal or archaic.

Religious themes2/5
Why this rating?

Religious themes, particularly Puritan influence, appear in stories by Hawthorne.

Romance3/5
Why this rating?

Romantic tension and relationships are present in several stories, though often focused on social constraints.

Frightening scenes3/5
Why this rating?

Psychological tension and macabre themes are prevalent in the works of Poe and Bierce.

Sexual content & nudity1/5
Why this rating?

Explicit sexual content is absent.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Social drinking is occasionally depicted, consistent with the historical settings.

Violence3/5
Why this rating?

Some stories contain brief or stylized depictions of conflict, typical of classic literary fiction.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience3/5
Why this rating?

Characters often face severe personal, societal, or existential challenges with courage.

Creativity & curiosity5/5
Why this rating?

An excellent source for understanding imaginative storytelling and literary craft.

Diverse representation2/5
Why this rating?

Stories span different regions, classes, eras, and viewpoints, but the canon and author list provide limited racial, cultural, ability, and identity representation.

Educational value4/5
Why this rating?

Highly educational; provides essential exposure to foundational American literature.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Kindness is explored as a character trait, though not always rewarded in these often cynical tales.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

The stories offer complex moral inquiries and insights into the human condition.

Good role models2/5
Why this rating?

Characters are complex and realistic, providing rich material for literary analysis rather than simple role models.

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Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in Great American Short Stories from Hawthorne to Hemingway would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Great American Short Stories from Hawthorne to Hemingway, and what caused that change?
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