I really enjoy this novel. The plot is exquisite, concise and thrilling. Although it is a short story, it has a strong atmosphere, is full of tension and has a powerful impact, which can immediately capture the reader's attention. Excellent short stories have direct conflicts, tense situations and concise narrative techniques, focusing on the core tense plot. This article perfectly presents to the readers through its compact plot: an unexpected late-night knock on the door, the unease of the visitor, the climax of revealing the truth and the resolution of the problem. There is no convolutedness, only focusing on the tense plot, proving that simplicity and compactness can also shine brightly under the focus of narration.
教学团队
课程特色
视频(49)
作业(48)
考试(1)
下载资料(1)
最新学员
Unit 3 Further Discussion
How do you like this short story? How can a story be both short and gripping? What important features do good short stories usually have concerning the plot, characterization, description, choice of words, etc.? Can you discuss at least one feature using this short story as an example?
42 回复
-
-
1.I think this novel is unexpected and extraordinary.
2.It should get straight to the point without any foreshadowing, but it needs to leave some blank space and not reveal the ending, allowing readers to imagine it themselves.
3.The plot must be closely related to the theme, the characters' personalities must be vivid and distinct, and the choice of words should be appropriate for the current context, etc.
4.The description of Ausable in the article is very good. When facing the physical threat from Max, he remained calm. He pretended to be angry first, thereby revealing the false information about the balcony, which aroused Max's curiosity. Then he called Henry up to pretend to be a police officer to scare Max away. Finally, he dealt with Max, demonstrating the true wisdom and fearlessness of a secret agent.
-
I like the short story.A tight narrative pace Can make a story be both short and gripping.I think description is really important,Because a good description can make a the story more fascinating
-
【1】Yes,I'm completely immersed in this gripping story!
【2】I think this answer has many perspectives.
To begin with,this story has well-rounded character images,by means of colorful character description,like the apperance,the actions between the protagonist and antagonist,mental activity,and so on. For instance,"Max was slender, not tall and with a face that suggested the look of a fox",this description of Max's apperance is vividly.
Secondly,The plot arrangement is very reasonable and it successfully captures the readers' interest.
【3】I think all of the above features are very important.
【4】I choose the plot.At the beginning of the novel,the protagonist,Ausable,his apperance didn't meet the image of a secret agent.But at the end of the story,Ausable took advantages of his wisdom to defeat the antagonist,Max.This arrangement of plot not only creates a striking contrast，making readers impressed,but also enhanced the theme of the novel: Wisdom is also a powerful weapon.
-
1. It’s a sad but easy to understand story, but full of feeling, blending beauty and sadness really well.
2.The nightingale sacrificing itself for love and uses vivid symbolic images that make the story more touching.
3. symbolic plot, simple but engaging descriptions, and words with deep meanings.
4. The symbolic plot：The nightingale’s sacrifice stands for selfless love.
-
1.The emotional tone of this story attracted me.
2.A great short story often achieves depth through focus, suggestion, and precision. It doesn’t try to tell everything but chooses one central idea, emotion, or turning point to explore intensely.3.Key features of good short stories：
- Tight, meaningful plot – Often one central conflict or moment of change.
- Suggestive character details – A few telling actions or lines reveal inner worlds.
- Economical yet vivid description – Settings and symbols carry emotional weight.
- Precise word choice – Each sentence serves multiple purposes (advances plot, sets mood, develops theme).
4.Example from this story – use of symbolism:
The nightingale’s sacrifice—pressing her breast against a thorn to dye a white rose red—is a central symbolic act. It represents pure, unappreciated artistic love, contrasted with the shallow characters around her. In just a few paragraphs, this image conveys themes of love’s cost, beauty born from suffering, and societal indifference. The rose’s color transformation through the bird’s blood becomes the story’s emotional core, showing how a single strong symbol can carry immense thematic weight in a short narrative. -
1.The ending of this novel is very unexpected.
2.Set a suspense,foreshadowing.
3.The plot is ups and downs,such as the man in the halfway of the room,the knocks on the door.The characters are vividly portrayed.For example,by describing Max’s appearance,we can roughly judge his images. -
1.It's a perfect example of a short story that hooks readers quickly and delivers a satisfying twist.
2.It should reduce the cumbersome language and irrelevant plots, making the conflicts clearer and the characters more three-dimensional.
3.It should have tight and clear plot,Three-dimensional characterization,vivid description and precise word choice.
4.Characterization:Ausable is introduced as "very fat" with a New England accent.But his true skill isn't in physicality—it’s in quick thinking.He successfully convey Max only by a lie about balcony and the police
Max is shown as cunning but he believes Ausable's balcony lie and panics at the "police" knock, leading to his death.
-
I like this short story.In my view,it is exciting and full of mystery.
It uses clear words and doesn't have too much description of the environment and other things.Instead,It concentrates on the conflict between Ausable and Max,which makes the pace of the article more intense.
At the beginning,Ausable,the protagonist,came out first,which attracted the reader's interest successfully.Fowler was disappointed at first because of Ausable's appearance and accent,but when he defeated Max with his wit.We believed he was an excellent spy.The description of environment made Max believe that the existence of balcony was more logical.Moreover,there were many verbs and adverbs used in the article,which fitted Ausable's fat image and made the article more pictorial.
-
I really appreciate this short story. Its plot and character development are very well done. For a story to be both concise and captivating, first of all, it must be clear in content, with an engaging plot. Secondly, the character settings should be distinct, with clear personalities, and the storyline should have ups and downs. A good short story is attractive in its plot, has distinct character development, and uses precise language and word choices. This short story excellently demonstrates the attractive characteristics of the plot content, starting from the opening scene where Max is found holding a gun inside, to Ausable's confrontation with Max, and then to Ausable successfully making Max jump out of the window through the window, with the plot full of twists and turns, making it highly captivating.
-
1.I think this short story is wonderful and fancinating.
2.A story can use precise words and creat suspence to be short and gripping.
3. As far as I'm concerned, a good short story usually has a cleverly designed plot, distinctively depicted characters and a profound theme.Moreover,it should be written in brief and expressive words with some literary devices employed.
4.Plot:In the text,the plot is carefully designed.At the beginning of the story,Ausable seemed not to take the upper hand because Max had a pistol.But at last,Ausable won the battle through his wisdom and Max got into the trap that Ausable set for him and died.The ending is quite unexpected.
Characterization:In the text,the author used some expressive verbs and adjectives to depict the characters precisely.For example,"slender""tall"and "the look of a fox" portrayed that Max is wicked and tricky."Said wheezily""a sloppy fat man"showed an agent who didn't fit the descriptions of a traditional agent but was wise and calm.
-
I like this story. First of all, in terms of character development, the protagonist's figure and expression are in sharp contrast to the traditional spy, which arouses the readers' interest in reading. The plot is full of ups and downs. When the two main characters communicate, many detailed descriptions are used, such as "look of a fox, he said grimly," etc. These detailed descriptions make readers feel the excitement of the story more directly.
-
I think this short story innovative, distinctive, and imbued with a captivating charm. To craft a narrative that is both concise and gripping, it is essential to weave twists and turns into the plot, leading to an unforeseen denouement that leaves a lasting impression. Furthermore, the lexicon employed should be fresh yet accessible. In this short story,what makes it uncommon is the way the author describes this character.In case of Ausable,the most outstanding feature must be his wisdom,his presence of mind and his quick wit.
-
I like this short story.A story should be concise and centered around the central event in order to be short and gripping.Of course the atmosphere is important.The story dramatizes the emergency by the waiter's rapid knock on the door.A good story should be compact.And the characters have distinct character and image.The sentence always use a variety of rhetorical device.The words are easy to understand and vivid.The story is short,but impressed me.Because of his tight plot.
-
I really enjoyed this story. I believe a short story needs a tightly plot to grab readers' attention, and the characters in this tale are very well-rounded. The development of the plot and the author's language are crucial to the story's success. Just like in this story, many words are used to express the characters' states, such as gloomy,moodily,murmur,and stammer.
-
It’s a compelling short story with tight structure and an unexpected twist, engaging and satisfying.Focus on a core conflict, build suspense quickly, cut irrelevant details, and deliver an impactful resolution.Plot: Tight structure, clear core conflict, surprising twist
Midnight Visitor excels in a tight, twist-driven plot. It centers solely on Ausable outwitting intruder Max for a secret document—no extra subplots. Ausable’s fabricated police raid leads Max to mistakenly fall from a window, a twist that’s unexpected yet logical. This focused conflict keeps the story short while gripping readers, embodying a key good short story feature.
-
I think this short story is wonderful.，It made use of the Ausable with common agents has difference,Which attracts me.
It must be different with other stories.Such as all, the Ausable's agent character.
The character is round.It must have plot.And have conflict in the point of view.
-
1.Regarding "The Midnight Visitor," I find it an excellent and tightly crafted short story.2.A short story can be both short and gripping by focusing on a single, high-stakes conflict beginning , maintaining relentless pacing, and delivering a powerful twist that resonates. Every element must serve multiple purposes: advancing the plot, revealing character, or building tension.
3.Good short stories typically excel in these features:
Plot: A focused plot with a clear conflict, often built around suspense and a decisive twist or revelation.
Characterization:Swift, efficient characterization where actions and dialogue reveal personality, often showing a character's true nature with seconds.
Description: Efficient but vivid description that sets the mood and supports the theme.
Wording expression:Precise, evocative language and every word can contribute to tone, pace, and theme.4.The Use of Suspense and Ironic Twist.
The plot of this story is captivating precisely because it skillfully employs the construction of suspense and concludes with an ironic twist. The suspense in this story is built through information disparity and dialogue guidance. Ol controls the narrative pace by complaining, then guides Max to believe in the balcony through a series of details, and improvises by identifying the waiter as a police officer. The suspense reaches its peak with the sound of knocking at the door. Just as the reader truly believes the police are about to arrive, an unexpected twist shatters all prior assumptions. Ironically, the previously perceived greatest threat—the "police"—turns out to be harmless, while the escape route, the balcony, proves fatal. The tension built during the suspense and the sudden twist create a stark contrast, leaving one reflecting on the narrative's clever design. -
I really enjoyed this novel. I think it focuses on the central theme and the plot design is very compact. The beginning quickly sets up the conflict to attract the readers' interest. At the same time, through character dialogues and environmental descriptions, foreshadowing is laid, such as the dark environment foreshadowing that Max thought there was a balcony. Moreover, its plot has ups and downs. When the readers also thought there was a balcony, the story ended with Max's death, and the readers suddenly realized that there was no balcony at all.This makes readers feel excited and eager to continue reading.
-
It is a highly successful short story.Although the story is short, it features unexpected twists in its plot, making the reading experience highly engaging.The plot structure features clear conflicts, suspense and twists.Establish the characters' images through detailed actions, dialogues and key moments of choice.Create the atmosphere through specific sensory details (what you see, what you hear, what you feel), rather than by direct explanation.The conversation is concise and has underlying meanings.
-
1. I think this short story has amazing detailed descriptions.
2. It creates such a tense atmosphere, and the characters’ conversations tie right into the plot perfectly.
3.A good short story needs to have a solid plot and well-developed characters, and this one nails the details—like the way the knocks on the door and the changes in the protagonist’s eyes are written, they make the story so much more enjoyable.
-
"Midnight Visitor" skillfully balances brevity and strong tension through exquisite suspense structure and efficient narrative techniques, perfectly practicing Hemingway's "iceberg theory"—containing profound tension with a small amount of surface text, and it is a model of excellent short stories. Its core strengths lie in the elaborate suspense architecture (Cold War atmosphere, misleading clues, gunshot twist) and precise language expression (revealing characters' psychology through action details); gripping short stories need plots with single conflict and decisive climax, characters whose traits are highlighted by actions, descriptive objects with dual roles, and diction that prioritizes concrete verbs/nouns. The key feature is foreshadowing density; details like the microphone and Paris photo in the story not only drive the plot but also condense background information.
-
This novel is extremely captivating If a novel makes more use of environmental descriptions, it can not only create an atmosphere but also enable readers to quickly immerse themselves in the story. A good short story has a tightly-knit plot with cause and effect throughout, well-developed characters, detailed descriptions, and precise word choice. In terms of the plot of this novel, Ausable's feigned complaint about the balcony lays the deepest foreshadowing for Max's death later on.
-
1.Of course, I like the story. I focus my mind on the story when I read it.
2.Environmental description,detailed psychological description and subtle changes in the atmosphere make the story both short and gripping.
3.As far as I concerned,good short stories usually have cliff-hanging plot,distinctive characteristics,detailed description and concise words chosen.
4.Taking this short story as an example,the plot is tightly woven and gripping.When Ausable turned in the light，Max dropped from the skies making Ausable and Fowler surprised.To be honest，I was also taken
aback.The characteristics of different characters are distinctive.Ausable faced emergency calmly and thinked of a quick solution to the problem.Ausable is the embodiment of wisdom and justice.The description of characters and atmosphere is both concise.For example，the author described Max was slender with a face that suggested the look of a fox.Max was foxy and tricky just as what he looked like.
-
1.I like this short story.The contrast between the appearance of agent and plot development makes it both fun and thoughtful.
2.I think one story grip reader’s eyes by:the plot has a tight pace,focus on a conflict,the character has their unique personalities and hide a twist.
3.Using The Midnight Visitor as an example,key features of good stories is character.Ausable looks like a sloppy and fat man who isn’t fit the description of agent,but he’s actually witty.This contrast makes the character memorable and drives the plot. -
I think this short story is wonderful,tightly-knit and unexpected,but it is reasonable.I think the story be both short and gripping need centre on a central conflict to extend.Good short stories have important features.The plot is tight,and unexpected result.The characterization is vivid.The description is detailed.The characterization of Ausable was detailed,vivid and unexpected
-
I think this story is impressive.lt can include all details and be described clearly, When the two main characters communicating, the atmosphere was in moderation.It is important that the
characteristics should be described perfectly.And
this story did it.
-
A key feature is tight, purposeful plotting: every scene advances the story , a good short story might open mid-conflict to hook readers fast, then use concise characterization to build tension without long backstory.
-
Yes, I like this novel. A good novel should have vivid character settings and a plot full of ups and downs, and its climax must be shocking and touching enough.
-
1.Midnight Visitor is a brilliant, tight suspense short story. It packed with twists and tension in a tiny space, and the ending is shocking yet satisfying.
2.Cut all fluff, focus on one core conflict, build instant tension,and use sudden twists to keep readers hooked.
3.Plot: Focused conflict
Characterization: The image is three-dimensional.
Description: Describe clearly and concisely.
添加回复
您确定给 “0” 位老师发送协议吗？
UMOOCS用户服务协议
问题分类：
--
