Social Issues in Short Stories

Ever since the creation of written language, literature has been a powerful tool as a catalyst for social change. The power of literature can span from changing the course of a major period of history, like the Qu'ran did during the Abbasid Caliphate, or representing a time of social restructuring, like To Kill A Mockingbird does for the 20th century. Many authors today use short stories as a way of making readers aware of current issues around the world, one such issue being the existence of racism. Racism is a hugely relevant issue in our world today and eradicating it is arguably one of the most pronounced struggles in modern America. Such a widespread issue leads to a multitude of short stories that promote awareness of racial inequality, as well as the closely related topics of gender inequality and classism. Authors such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sherman Alexie, and Flannery O'Connor use short stories to expose various aspects of racism through their writing, especially in the forms of colonialism, privilege, and white supremacy. The internal and external conflicts of the characters within the stories "The Thing Around Your Neck," "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," and "Everything That Rises Must Converge" are effective portrayals of an issue that is prevalent in modern American culture. The goal of such authors (as well as others) is to raise readers about racism in America and advocate a shift towards a more equal society.