本书是一部学术性和可读性兼具有英语短篇小说选读教材，适合高等学校英语专业或具有同等英语水平的学习者使用。全书以20世纪的英语短篇小说为主体，系统介绍西方文学批评理论的基本概念，并将其运用到短篇小说的解读中，以提高学生的理论分析能力。书中还精心设计学生口头汇报的话题，并提供具体书单；口头汇报的资源包括可在网上观看的原版外国电影，从而充分调动学生的学习热情，寓教于乐，同时提供了针对每个单元小说选篇的相关评论或文化概念，作为课堂讨论的引子和深化对作品理解的切入点。

Unit 1 Introduction: Reading the Short Story to Discover Meaning

 Anton Chekhov, "A Wicked Boy"

Unit 2 Desire

 Frank O'Connor, "My Oedipus Complex"

 Katherine Mansfield, "Feuille d'Album"

Unit 3 Man and Woman

 John Collier, "The Chaser'

Unit 4 Marriage and Family

 Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour"

 John Updike, "Unstuck"

Unit 5 Capital and Commodity

 Max Shulman, "Love Is a Fallacy"

 Mark Twain, "The ￡1,000,000 Bank-Note"

 D. H. Lawrence, "The Rocking-Horse Winner"

Unit 6 Society and Tradition

 James Joyce, "The Boarding House"

 William E. Barrett, "Senor Payroll"

 Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery"

Unit 7 Racial Conflict

 Somerset Maugham, "Mr. Know-All"

Unit 8 Reality and Representation

 O. Henry, "The Last Leaf"

 Milos Macourek, "Jacob's Chicken"

 Julio Cortazar, "Continuity of Parks"

Unit 9 Man vs. Nature

 Jack London, "To Build a Fire"

Websites for Critical Theory

References