THE BASIC CONVENTIONS THAT SHAPE THE CREATION OF THE SHORT STORY AND THE NOVEL ARE EXAMINED IN THIS 11TH-GRADE LITERATURE UNIT. THE SECTION ON THE SHORT STORY ILLUSTRATES NARRATIVE FICTION FORM THROUGH THE SHORT STORIES OF FORSTER, JACKSON, STEINBECK, THURBER, POE, MCCULLERS, HAWTHORNE, MANSFIELD, SALINGER, STEELE, AND COLLIER. EMPHASIZED IN EACH STORY'S INTERPRETATION IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRADITIONAL FORM REQUIREMENTS UNIQUE TO THE SHORT STORY GENRE AND OF THE PARTICULAR LIMITATIONS IMPOSED UPON THE WRITER BY THIS FORM. THE SECTION ON THE NOVEL ILLUSTRATES THE RANGE OF PROSE FICTION THROUGH THREE NOVELS CHOSEN FOR ANALYSIS--"THE SCARLET LETTER,""THE GREAT GATSBY," AND "THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE." EACH NOVEL IS DISCUSSED AS A WHOLE, ANALYZED CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER FOR CLOSER TEXTUAL READING, AND COMPARED WITH OTHER WORKS STUDIED. BOTH SECTIONS INCLUDE INDUCTIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS DESIGNED TO CLARIFY THE STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF SUBJECT, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, SETTING, SYMBOL, STYLE, TONE, FORM, AND POINT OF VIEW. TEXTS OF THE SHORT STORIES AND NOVELS ARE NOT INCLUDED. FIVE TESTS DESIGNED TO ACCOMPANY THIS UNIT ARE APPENDED. SEE ALSO ED 010 129 THROUGH ED 010 160, ED 010 803 THROUGH ED 010 832, TE 000 195 THROUGH TE 000 220, AND TE 000 227 THROUGH TE 000 249. (JB)