Time is a funny thing, it can be squeezed into five minutes or dragged out for centuries and writers are the master manipulators. Short stories aim to give us insight into a world, whether it is a moment between two people or an action over a period of time, clearly defined and narrowly focused. But what the writer also tells us in these stories is the times in which they lived and the way people viewed their world. I'm looking at three short stories, written by Kiwi women writers, to see how they tell us about the era from which they write. . The first is The Yard Broom by Charlotte Grimshaw, a modern story of transition. The Glass House, by JC Sturm, which, although only published in 2006, speaks of an ancient era and was probably written between the late 1950s and the mid-1970s, and The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield, written in 1921, at a time of post-war economic boom. .The Yard Broom is the dark and austere story of a young woman's journey to adulthood. It is in the first person and the tone is depressed, giving us a sense of the woman's lack of hope for the future. The language is refined and modern, giving only raw facts, as shown by the way she describes herself. “I was nineteen years old, I had blond hair and blue eyes. I wore a dirty reflective sleeveless jacket over shorts and a T-shirt, and heavy boots with short, thick socks. “There are social problems that affect a large part of the population. Poverty and a marginal social class as well as the associated problems of child neglect, domestic violence and drugs - mainly marijuana and P. It also examines how a person with a good life can turn to crime and deception. This is explored as she develops a friendship with a pastor she meets. He spends a lot of time telling her ...... middle of paper ...... folds. “Stop the garden party?” My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course, we can't do anything like that. Nobody expects us to do it. Don't be so extravagant. » There is also a strong class distinction that does not exist today; the baize door, the villagers living too close and the casual contempt of the servants, which today would be unthinkable in all but the most snobbish families. In conclusion, every writer is able to draw on an era because they live in it; they use words and expressions that are not used in another period. Each writer tells us about their time, their social issues and the way people faced them. Short stories are time capsules, allowing us to see other worlds in time and space, even if they take place in our own country. Works Cited Katherine Mansfield. the Garden PartyCharlotte Grimshaw. the garden broomJ.C. Scratch. The glass house