Short stories are temporary portals to another world; there is a plethora of knowledge to be gleaned from the scenario, and to this knowledge is added a simple moral. Langston Hughes writes in “Thank You Ma'm” the chronology of a single night in a slum of an anonymous city. This “timeline” recounts the unfolding of generosity that begins when a teenager fails in an attempted robbery on Mrs. Jones. An annoyed bachelor on a British train listens to three children, their aunt, conversing in a rather obnoxious manner in Saki's tale, "The Storyteller." After a failed story attempt, The Bachelor tries his hand at storytelling and tells a wonderfully satisfying and inappropriate story. These stories are full of humor, but like all other stories, have an underlying theme. Both themes of these stories are "implied" and provide an excellent stage for comparing and contrasting a story. Theme is the underlying power behind a story; the “force” that makes the whole experience interesting. Theme is “an idea or message that the writer wishes to convey” (Holt 874). A theme can be either stated or implied. A stated theme is a theme “that the other expresses directly in his work (protic.net); an implied theme is one “that is not directly stated in the work” (protic.net). As mentioned earlier, both of these stories have an implied theme, which is now revealed to mean that the author of the story insinuated it. Themes exist in all stories (verbal or written) and can be long, short, true or false. “Earthlings will beat all other intelligent life in all competitions” is a theme, but “good always beats evil” is one too. "Once upon a time..." stories also have themes, except they are more one-dimensional For example, ...... in the middle of a sheet of paper ...... stories, but about a realistic fiction scenario A slum. set in "Yes, Madam" and a shiny train carriage in "The Storyteller" create the framework for this compare and contrast essay These short stories are similar in that their themes both focus on negative objects, but. presents them in a positive light However, the suggested themes are different in that "Yes Ma'm" tells the reader not to believe people depending on where they live, but "The Storyteller" communicates not to. judging something on the basis of its formality. Langston Hughes' "Yes Ma'm" has an implicit theme found throughout: "nice people can be found even in the lowest places on earth." Another true theme belonging to Saki's "Storyteller" reads: "Sometimes the most inappropriate story is the best." » Both main messages are true and provide a very interesting focal point for the reader..