A Compare and Contrast of the Short Stories Shiloh and Astronomers Wife: Love is a Bizarre Thing The subject of love has been a focal point of art since the earliest of times. It is seen in various forms of art such as paintings, sculptures, and literature. The form in which it is explored in the most detail is literature. This is due to the fact that words can express so much more than, say, a painting. While paintings can evoke great emotion and meaning, writing is able to achieve that intended feeling in greater detail and control. An author can try to prove a point by introducing a bias to the writing, or leave it open to the reader’s interpretation. Authors have a large amount of freedom, which is what makes writing such a diverse art form. Couple this with a topic such as love, and the possibilities are infinite. Writing is a popular art form due to the various disciplines of writing available to choose from. This diversity leads to common subjects that cross all boundaries of writing. Possibly the most common aspect of life addressed through writing is love. Due to the inconsistent nature of love, various authors have written about it from different angles. Love is very common in literature, due to the euphoric feelings that come along with it. Consequently, the devastating effects of love lost are also covered. It is the intense emotion involved that has caused it to flourish throughout literature. One category of writing that the theme of love is explored is short stories. Short stories by definition are stories that described everyday life and experiences of middle class people during the time period the story was written (DiYanni 46). Naturally, love will be covered in this form of writing. Short stories range in detail on a story by story basis, but all short stories give enough detail to bring the reader into the world of the characters. Two