Final answer:
A short story that includes elements of American Realism should feature a truthful, unromantic portrayal of life in a realistic setting, focusing on ordinary characters and plausible experiences, with accurate regional details and dialogue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking for a short story that incorporates elements of American Realism, a literary movement that gained prominence after the Civil War and into the turn of the 20th century. Realism paints a truthful, detailed, and unidealized vision of life, focusing on ordinary, middle-class characters and their plausible experiences. Critical to this style are realistic settings, dialogue using regional dialects, complex characters, and a reflection of social realities without romantic embellishments. We also see influences from Local Color and Regionalism in the depth of social and regional accuracy.
For instance, a story might be set in a small town in Illinois around the 1890s, featuring a protagonist who works as a telegraph operator. His daily interactions, challenges, and the dialect spoken by the townspeople would all reflect this time and place accurately. The character would display both virtues and flaws, and the plot would derive from his real-life struggles, such as dealing with the impact of industrial change or social reform movements. The story would avoid sweeping heroic gestures, focusing instead on the protagonist's internal and societal conflicts, with an honest portrayal of the period's realities.