The short story has changed dramatically from the plot-oriented cartoon that Edgar Allen Poe formally defined, in 1842, as an artistic composition controlled to produce a single, unified effect. This new form of the story is characterized by the use of apparently real characters in probable situations as we have seen authors such as Ernest Hemingway create. The modern short story has moved even further away from plot, more than Hemingway and his contemporaries, and is now concerned almost entirely with characters and social issues. The story continues to incorporate the zeitgeist, the spirit of the times, in the creation of characters, conflicts and settings. Jaquira Díaz's short story, Section 8, is an example of a modern short story and how it focuses more on character than plot. Section 8 serves as a commentary on how society shapes who we are as individuals. To explain the idea that society defines us, Section 8 uses a current controversial issue in our culture: the acceptance of same-sex relationships. The protagonist, Nena, grew up in Normandy Park, a tough neighborhood near Miami Beach. In her neighborhood, she is known as a "tough guy" who is in and out of juvenile halls for thefts and assaults. Nena has a rough exterior due in part to the neglect of her alcoholic mother, as well as her peers and the way society views those who live in her disadvantaged neighborhood. Her community has such a huge influence on who she is that when they begin to pass negative judgment on the gay community she can't help but mirror their feelings even if she doesn't agree with them. In the story, a killer known as "The Strangler" is plaguing Miami Beach. The Strangler takes prey... middle of paper... only to discover years later that the necklace was not made of real diamonds but of glass. This story shows the social pressure put on those of the lower classes and how they wish to be part of the better group to get her into poverty and shame as well just a sliver of luck. The story of Chopin and Maupassant addresses issues of their times that still apply to modern times. The two stories deal with two different social issues, but at the same time both are about class His story addresses a current social issue, the effects of labeling on one's identity, as well as the age-old question of social status. In their stories, they show that placing someone within a certain social class defines who their characters and characters are their aspirations.