ABBREVIATIONS
INTRODUCTION

1. RE-IMAGININGS OF OLD MASTERS: OATES'S DEPENDENCY/INDEPENDENCY
   
   
   1. Henry Jame's "The Turn of the Screw"
   2. Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"
   3. Henry David Thoreau's "Walden"
   4. James Joyce's "The Dead"
   5. Anton Chekhov's "Lady With the Dog"
   6. Summary
      
      
2. OATES AND TRADITIONAL SHORT STORY GENRES
   
   
   1. Genre of the Extraordinary
      1. Romantic Versions of the extraordinary: Poe and Hawthorne as models
      2. Realistic versions of the extraordinary: James as a model
   2. Genre of Recognition
   3. Genre of Initiation
      1. Romantic versions of the initiation story
      2. Realistic versions of the initiation story
   4. Oates's Experiments With Traditional Genres
      1. Experimental stories of the extraordinary
      2. Experimental stories of recognition
      3. Experimental stories of initiation
   5. Summary
      
      
3. OATES'S SHORT STORY CYCLES
   
   
   1. Thematic Cycles
   2. Sequences
   3. Summary

CONCLUSION
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Excerpt

In the following study Oates's "re-imaginings" of short story classics provide the starting point for an examination of her aesthetic as it manifests itself in contrast to the original narratives. In five imitations of older writers Oates formulates a statement first on the specific merits of conventional techniques and secondly on the necessity of realigning such guidelines in order to effect contemporary relevance. This discussion aims at illustrating how and to what purpose Oates alters these famous models and, furthermore, to present an initial exposition of the basic conflict between her adherence to convention and her effort to contemporize the short story.

The second step in the following investigation is to compare Oates's personal use of short story genres with traditional models. Transitions, the remodeling of external forms, according to the influences of the times is an inherent characteristic of genre evolution. Although a 'genre' itself consists of specific attributes, 'common denominators', it nevertheless allows for a certain degree of flexibility in the employment of these criteria. An author's individual reformation of given conventions, his development of new, untried techniques or his 'mixing' of genres may unveil personal objectives, artistic impetus, and theoretical commitments. A study of Oates's short stories on this basis presents a means whereby the degree and nature of her deviations from her predecessors (and contemporaries) can be ascertained….

The third method of explicating Oates's relation to tradition is the examination of her principles of organization employed in the short story collections. This approach illustrates the means by which Oates attempts to solve the problem of limited range inherent to the short story. Through the composition of short story 'cycles' Oates manages to achieve an accumulative 'wholeness,' intertwining individual narratives to grant them an 'exhaustive' effect. The discussion of her organizational tactics, with special attention to the development of interlinkage, thus provides an additional instrument in clarifying Oates's aesthetic stance.

The intention of this study is to probe beyond the thematic surface to delineate Oates's formal diversity and thereby elucidate her literary motivation and singular orientation. Through this threefold approach the aesthetic basis of Oates's short stories and also its practical consequences become tangible.