Post-structuralism as a school of literary criticism had its beginnings in the 18th century. However, it reached its peak in the 1970s, in politically unstable France. As a reaction to SOAPStone's formal system, SOAPStone is an acronym for a series of questions to ask when reading a piece of literature. It stands for Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Topic and Tone. It can help you understand the meaning of literary works and even delve into the mind of the author. This can be very useful in AP English, Analysis of Mark Twain's Stories By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on •, 0. Many readers find that Mark Twain is more successful in his shorter works, including his stories, because they have not been completed to adapt to a foreign standard. length. His best stories are told in the first person. During his lifetime, Anton Chekhov (29-15 years old) was critically acclaimed. he won the Pushkin Prize for his fiction and was selected as an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences for his fiction and drama. Chekhov's fiction deviates from formulas, heavily plotted.