“Overall-Extended Close Reading” and Subtexts of Short Stories

Abstract

To meet the challenge of how to make full use of the advantages of close reading while avoiding its earlier limitations, this essay proposes the method of “ overall-extended close reading”, which may effectively help reveal the subtexts of short stories. An “overall” consideration of the interaction among the local details in different parts of the text may enable us to see a hidden large meaning-structure, which in turn may shed new light on the local details. Moreover, an “extended” consideration of the relation between the text and the socio-historical context as well as of the associations between the work under investigation and various related works may help to put things in perspective and to test, supplement or reinforce the findings of the textual exploration. This essay shows the function and effectiveness of “overall-extended close reading” with the investigation of Katherine Mansfield's “Revelations” and, in particular, of Stephen Crane's “An Episode of War”.