Solitaire by Blanche Colton Williams
Blanche Colton Williams’s study of “Solitaire” examines Fleta Campbell Springer’s character-centered short story through its stated origin, plot structure, narrative method, characterization, setting, and title. It opens with Springer’s account of developing Corey from a visual impression of a physician encountered in Paris, then separates the story’s action into initial impulse, dramatic climax, action climax, and dénouement. Williams explains how an outer narrator, Mr. Ewing, and Burke relay information across a long span of events while keeping attention fixed on Corey. The analysis interprets his decorations, self-suspicion, and final conduct as expressions of a punitive moral code, reinforced by the solitaire anecdote and by the contrast between the Middle West and France.
By Blanche Colton Williams · First published 1919 · Genre: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Literary Essay · 1,743 words
First lines
STARTING POINT. "You ask about the origin of ‘Solitaire,' which chances to be rather easier to trace than the origin of most of the stories I have written, since I more often begin with an abstract ‘idea' and work outward to character and plot. When a story begins otherwise I have discovered (and all such things are matters of discovery after the fact, and never of premeditation) that it is almost invariably the result of some purely _visual_ impression of a single person, detached from any incident or complication. A stranger, seen once, who recurs again and again to my mind, and about whom my curiosity increases, I have learned to rely upon, in a kind of occult unstatable way, to bring home his own plot.
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Genres
- Literary Analysis — The section closely analyzes plot construction, narration, character emphasis, setting, and thematic implications.
- Literary Criticism — It evaluates the story’s structural unity, use of chance, and handling of information about Corey.
- Literary Essay — The study combines explanatory prose, interpretive claims, and quoted remarks from the story’s author.
- Non-Fiction — It is a nonfiction instructional section from a volume on studying short stories.
Tags
Blanche Colton Williams · Fleta Campbell Springer · Solitaire · short-story criticism · plot stages · nested narration · narrative viewpoint · Dr. Jim Corey · character unity · decorations motif · chance in fiction · Middle West and France
What this Textopian page supports
Solitaire is listed on Textopian as an essay by Blanche Colton Williams, dated 1919 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Blanche Colton Williams
- Date: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Literary Essay, Non-Fiction
- Length: 1,743 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Solitaire by Blanche Colton Williams
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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