Gain a deeper understanding of the elements of literature, and enjoy a richer appreciation of this vital art for the rest of your life.

If you enjoy being transported into marvelous worlds where dauntless heroes overcome staggering obstacles, this course is for you. Analyzing little-known gems of the short story genre, Dr. Andrew Bernstein will show you a method for reaping all you can from this vital art.

The stories you’ll read and discuss are:*

1. “The Heyday of the Blood” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
2. “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by Stephen Vincent Benet
3. “Leiningen Versus the Ants” by Carl Stephenson
4. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
5. “The Yellow Mail Story: Jimmie The Wind” by Frank Spearman
6. “The Roadmaster’s Story: The Spider Water” by Frank Spearman
7. “The Clock Strikes” by Andrew Bernstein
8. “Life Struggle” by Andrew Bernstein
   

You will penetrate to the heart of each story, identifying its key literary elements (e.g., plot, characterization, theme), assessing the ways in which its parts integrate (or fail to do so), distinguishing objective analyses from sense-of-life analyses, examining your and others’ emotional responses, and expanding your knowledge and enjoyment of great literature.

Join Dr. Bernstein for an invigorating expedition into the world of fiction. It will pay spiritual dividends for life.

*When you enroll, you’ll receive links to the eight stories. All are accessible for free via public domain or special permissions from the publisher except “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” which is available from Amazon in a collection of short stories for $8.

Meet Your Instructor

Andrew Bernstein

Andrew Bernstein holds a PhD in philosophy from the Graduate School of the City University of New York and taught philosophy for many years at Marist College. He is the author of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters; Capitalism Unbound: The Incontestable Moral Case for Individual Rights; Capitalist Solutions; Why Johnny Still Can’t Read or Write or Understand Math: And What We Can Do About It; and myriad articles for The Objective Standard.