The signal short story summary

The Literary Theme In “The Signal” By Vsevolod Garshin

Topic: The Signal by Vsevolod Garshin.

Website: http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/the-signal/ or http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.classicreader.com/book/2150/1/

Thesis: This paper aims at analyzing the main theme in “The Signal” which turns out to be social inequality which the author, Vsevold Garshin , depicts using detailed differences between employees on different levels in the rail company.

1. Read Story

2. in a separate paragraph summarize story

3. Revise thesis and incorporate in paper. The thesis is too general and you will have to make it more specific.

4. For every paragraph use different colored fonts to note the areas of your paragraph:

Red for the paragraph’s topic sentence
Green for the paragraph’s use of evidence
Blue for the paragraph’s explanation/warrant of the evidence

Instructions for paper:

Write a thesis statement that clearly identifies the title of a story, its author, the theme, and what the paper will discuss about the story and the theme

Write clear topic sentences for paragraphs that let the reader know what the paragraph will discuss

Write paragraphs that explain how the examples from the story support the theme

Arrange a paper by presenting paragraphs in a logical and interesting fashion

Write sentences in standard American English that clearly express ideas

Demonstrate the MLA style of formatting in the layout of a paper

Demonstrate the MLA style of formatting by documenting material from the story within the paper and on a Works Cited page

Explain in a clear and logical fashion what you have learned about your writing

Paper

Topic for Paper 1: How is a literary theme represented in a short story? You will develop a paper that answers this question and demonstrates the following outcomes for writing and literature. You will be able to

Topic: The Signal by Vsevolod Garshin.

Website: http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/the-signal/ or http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.classicreader.com/book/2150/1/

On a separate paper:

1. Alphanumeric outline: Please revise outline

2. Thesis Statement: Post a working thesis statement that should include the story and the theme, outline and an introductory paragraph. (revise thesis statement)

3. Development. The development or body of the paper will focus on finding evidence in the story that supports the theme and then explaining in your paper how it does so. You will workshop strategies for developing body paragraphs in the discussion. Except for the stories themselves, you will be developing this material through your own observations; you are not to use outside sources for this material.

4. Sentence Level and MLA. Your writing should be carefully proofed for sentence-level concerns. Your paper should be formatted and documented according to MLA documentation style in the form of parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page.

Word Count: 600-750 words

· Analyze literature for a purpose

· Distinguish digital or print materials through annotation to demonstrate reading and summary skills

· Identify a theme in a short story

· Identify one to three examples in the story that support the theme

· Write a thesis statement that clearly identifies the title of a story, its author, the theme, and what the paper will discuss about the story and the theme

· Write clear topic sentences for paragraphs that let the reader know what the paragraph will discuss

· Write paragraphs that explain how the examples from the story support the theme

· Arrange a paper by presenting paragraphs in a logical and interesting fashion

· Write sentences in standard American English that clearly express ideas

· Demonstrate the MLA style of formatting in the layout of a paper

· Demonstrate the MLA style of formatting by documenting material from the story within the paper and on a Works Cited page

The Literary Theme in “The Signal” by Vsevolod Garshin

Outline

1. Introduction

i. Inequality is a great social issue that affects the contemporary society. “The Signal” demonstrates social inequality in the society

ii. This story focuses on Semyon Ivanov and coworker Vasily Stepanych

iii. The main theme in “The Signal” is social inequality as the story focuses on the detailed differences between employees on different levels in the rail company.

2. First Body Paragraph

i. This story is used as a way of highlight the social and economic inequalities

ii. In the conversations between Vasily and Semyon, they get to talk about their way of life.

iii. For instance, Vasily and Semyon have unequal.

iv. The unequal pay is a demonstration of inequality within the rail company

3. Second Body Paragraph

i. Inequality in standard of living

ii. The quality of the workers’ huts is poor

iii. This demonstrates the inequality in the workers’ standards of living.

4. Third Body Paragraph

i. Inequality in the system preventing the poor from making their lives better.

ii. Vasily had attempted to make his life better by planting cabbage on some bare land near the rail that belongs to the company, but was asked to remove them. He complained.

iii. The Chief’s response showed his lack of concern for the plight of the poor.

5. Conclusion

i. This story demonstrated the dynamics of inequality in the society.

ii. The quality of life of Semyon and Virsky, the treatment they get from the railway company, and the lack of concern by the company show how much the company does not care about the poor.

iii. This story is a representation of the social inequality that people continue to experience in the real world today.

Thesis Statement

The main theme in “The Signal” is social inequality as the story focuses on the detailed differences between employees on different levels in the rail company

The Literary Theme in “The Signal” by Vsevolod Garshin

Inequality is a great social issue that affects the contemporary society. “The Signal” is a short story by Vsevold Garshin that demonstrates social inequality in the society. This story focuses on Semyon Ivanov, a track-walker who has served and survived the Russian-Turkish war nine years prior. The story focuses on Semyon and his neighbor and coworker Vasily Stepanych as they talk about issues affecting their lives. The main theme in “The Signal” is social inequality as the story focuses on the detailed differences between employees on different levels in the rail company.

This story is used as a way of highlight the social and economic inequalities in the society and how they can affect people’s perceptions and behaviors. In the conversations between Vasily and Semyon, they get to talk about their way of life. Although Semyon seems to be satisfied with his life, Vasily is not happy with the evident unequal treatment that the workers of the rail company receive. Semyon states that he received twelve rubles while Vasily received thirteen and a half rubles. Even though they do the exact same job, they receive different pay, which is a demonstration of inequality within the company.

Theme of inequality is also demonstrated through the discussion of the track-walker’s standard of living. Vasily evidently expresses his dissatisfaction with the quality of the housing that the rail company has offered them. Vasily tells Semyon, “What sort of life is there for a poor man in a hut here or there? The cannibals are devouring you.” (Garshin 4). This discussion demonstrates the inequality in the workers’ standards of living as they are given substandard huts as homes.

Inequality is also expressed in the system that prevents the poor from making their lives better. Vasily had attempted to make his life better by planting cabbage on some bare land near the rail that belongs to the company. Even though his plants were not causing harm, he was forced to uproot them when the inspector came along. With a system where the authorities make it hard for the poorer people to better their lives, it is hard for a person to change their situation. When the Chief came to their huts, Vasily tried to launch a complaint about his cabbage garden but the chief dismissed him. The Chief’s response showed his lack of concern for the plight of the poor. He disregarded the cabbage farm as a small issue that did not deserve to be talked about.

The story of The Signal has demonstrated the dynamics of inequality in the society. The quality of life of Semyon and Virsky, the treatment they get from the railway company, and the lack of concern by the company show how much the company does not care about the poor. This story is a representation of the social inequality that people continue to experience in the real world today.

Works Cited

Garshin, Vsevolod Mikhaĭlovich. The Signal, and Other Stories. AA Knopf, 1916.

Mirsky, Prince DS. Contemporary Russian Literature. Wildside Press LLC, 2010.