Sobre los Orígenes del Cuento Norteamericano

Abstract

The U.S. predilection for writing short stories is analysed through a series of socioeconomlc and cultural factors which acknowledge them as a "genuine" American genre. Previous to the Civl War, the writer had to turn to short stories as a means of gathering the experiences of an isolated population who laked a well developed social system. The non-existence of an International copywright law to control the rights of publications made editors publish English literature or European literature translated because it was less expensive. The extensive periodical publications of magazines and annuals became the only means of publication for the local writers: without this market, short stories would have probably never flourished. After the Civil War, the new period of high economic activity left people little leisure time therefore favouring the reading of complete stories rather than serials. The puritan religious mentality lead to a significant delay of the birth of the novel. Short stories, on the other hand, were a valuable means to illustrate moral teachings, they were written for protestant ethic purposes.