Introduction to Literary Studies: Short Story Project

This assignment is a project for an Introduction to Literary Studies course, focusing on the short story form. Part A is a creative writing piece, a crime fiction excerpt titled "Till Death," where a wheelchair-bound woman, Emily, plots revenge against her unfaithful husband and his mistress by poisoning ...Read More

Literary Studies 1
INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES
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Literary Studies 2
Introduction to Literary Studies
Part A
Till Death
Emily sat in her wheelchair next to an open window at the corner of her husband’s
luxurious Manhattan office in the Upper East. She was angry and heartbroken at the same time.
Her sad, dark-brown eyes found and rested on their family portrait, abandoned behind a tufted,
dark-brown, leather, Chesterfield sofa, which was perfectly positioned at the entrance of the
room. Next to it was a modern glass coffee table, upon which her cold cup of coffee and divorce
papers now lay; both untouched. She had no desire for the coffee, or in granting her manipulating
husband his wish for a divorce. Tonight, as she had been planning for the last two months, Emily
intended to end it all.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a slight knock on the office mahogany door. A tall,
blue-eyed, voluptuous woman with ginger hair walked into the room. Lorna, her husband’s
assistant, was remarkably attractive. At that very moment, it became clear to Emily why Nathan,
a materialistic, social-climber from the Lower-East, would choose her instead of his own family.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Langley. Mr. Langley would like me to inform you that he requires his
office for his afternoon meeting. May I call you the chauffeur?” Lorna said in a near-nervous
tone. She avoided eye-contact with Emily and rubbed her lips with her index finger
unconsciously, as was her custom. Lorna evidently loathed having to answer to Emily.
Emily did not respond. She pursed her lips in disgust as she stared at Lorna, then touched
the window’s locking handles as if to pull it shut before having a second thought. She leaned
back, and slowly directed her automatic wheelchair out through the emergency exit on the
opposite side of the office. Emily parked behind the steel door, and waited patiently for Lorna to

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leave before quietly wheeling herself back into the room. She then hid inside one of Nathan’s
spacious coat closets, and waited with bated breath till evening.
When evening came, Emily sat watching Nathan through a small opening in the closet.
“Lorna, may I see you for a moment?” he spoke through his intercom.
“Yes, darling!” she chirped as she walked in sat on his lap.
“Could you close that window at the corner for me sweetheart?” Nathan requested. “Who
left it open?” he asked, staring longingly at Lorna as she walked towards the window.
“Who else?” she replied, and they both chuckled.
“Did she sign the papers?” Nathan inquired further as he stretched out his arms to seat her
back on his laps.
“Soon, my love,” she replied nervously rubbing her lips with her finger yet again, and
asked, “Are you angry with me? You know I couldn’t force her.”
“It’s alright,” Nathan said and kissed her passionately. “After she signs, everything will
be ours! I can’t wait to be rid of her!”
Inside the closet, Emily smiled to herself. In her hand was a bottle of Strychnine, a lethal
poison, which she had used to douse the window handles. Emily could not believe just how well
her plan had unfolded. Nathan and Lorna had fallen fast into a deep sleep, never to reawaken.
Without another thought, she wheeled herself out of the closet and calmly walked, unbeknownst
to everyone, out of the office to begin the next phase.
Part B
Applied Characteristics of the Short Story Form
Till Death is a short story since it focuses on one main incident. This incident revolves
around a single plot, which is Emily’s revenge. Emily, who is introduced as the main character,

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is angry and saddened by her husband’s indifference towards their family, particularly after
learning about his infidelity and potential betrayal. Much like other short stories, its plot took
place within a short span of time. This is evidenced when Emily’s act of revenge on her husband
and his mistress unfolded from sometime in the afternoon till evening. The story also only used
three characters, namely Emily Langley, Nathan Langley, and Lorna, thereby applying another
one of the main conventions of a short story (Emsley & Hitchcock, 2010).
More typical of the short story form is its abrupt ending. The audience has little
information about Emily’s act of revenge, and is left in suspense about the next phase of her plan
after she successfully poisoned Nathan and Lorna. The short story also embodied one main
mood, much like other short stories. The plot is developed in a cynical atmosphere as it unravels
the details of Nathan and Lorna’s betrayal. Hence, it only has one main interest which
determines the outcome of the story. Similarly, the setting of the short story is mainly inside
Nathan’s Manhattan office in the Upper East, which is another key feature in short stories
(Emsley & Hitchcock, 2010).
Applied Characteristics of the Chosen Genre
Till Death is part of a crime story. According to Knight (2010, p. 42), a crime story is
made up of two main sections, the first being the story of the crime, and the second part being its
investigation. This short story is, thus, part of the story of the crime. Similarly, the short story has
utilized specific repetitive phrases, such as, the rubbing of Lorna’s lips, and Emily’s confinement
to a wheelchair as clues pointing towards the direction of the crime. For instance, the audience
was not aware of the fact that Emily could walk without aid. These clues also create a sense of
mystery, which is typical of crime fiction (Knight, 2010, p. 40). Like in other crime stories, this
short story also uses the other characters to provide clues necessary in solving the crime (Franks,

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2011, p. 134). For example, Nathan, who is from a humble background, clarifies that the motive
behind his betrayal revolves around Emily’s wealth; by divorcing her, he and Lorna will be able
to take ownership of Emily’s possessions.
Crime stories are commonly known for using language to foreshadow or provide missing
information through flashbacks (Knight, 2010, p. 38). In this case, foreshadowing was used in
the beginning of the story when Emily made it clear how her act of revenge would come to
fruition after two months of planning. Additionally, the general tone of the story is somber to
indicate the mood of the main character, and magnitude of the crime that lay ahead (Knight,
2010, p. 44).

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References
Emsley, C. & Hitchcock, T., 2010. Old Bailey Proceedings Online. [Online]
Available at: www.oldbaileyonline.org
[Accessed 25 September 2019].
Franks, R., 2011. May I Suggest Murder? An Overview of Crime Fiction for Readers' Advisory
Services Staff. The Australian Library Journal, 60(2), pp. 133-143.
Knight, S., 2010. Crime Fiction Since 1800: Detection, Death, Diversity. 2nd ed. London:
Palgrave Macmillan.