The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - River of Names by Dorothy Allison | All the Way in Flagstaff, Arizona by Richard Bausch

1. Who are the main characters in River of Names, and how are they different from each other?

2. In the story All the Way in Flagstaff, Arizona, what does Walter keep hidden in the wheel well of the spare tire in the car? Why?

Short Essay Question - A Vintage Thunderbird by Ann Beattie | Talk of Heroes by Carol Bly

3. Who is Petra in Ann Beattie's story "A Vintage Thunderbird"?

4. In Carol Bly's story...
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