Text 1: Critic Park argues that the modern short story descends from Anton Chekhov, whose tales abandon traditional plot in favor of quiet revelations of inner life. Chekhov's stories pivot on a small moment of recognition rather than a dramatic event; his influence runs through Joyce, Mansfield, Carver, and beyond.
Text 2: Critic Singh accepts Chekhov's enormous influence but argues that the modern short story has multiple ancestors. Edgar Allan Poe shaped the tradition's commitment to single effect; Maupassant contributed compression and surprise; oral storytelling traditions in many languages predate any of them. To trace the form to one figure, Singh contends, narrows the genealogy too far.
The authors most clearly disagree about
- A
whether Maupassant wrote in French.
- B
whether Joyce wrote short stories.
- Ccheck_circle
whether Chekhov should be treated as the singular origin of the modern short story.
- D
whether Chekhov influenced the modern short story.
Explanation
Both accept Chekhov's influence. They differ on whether to treat him as the singular origin. B captures the dispute.