Question

how does the interplay of short story create a meningful whole

Answer 1

from what i gathered the interplay of the short story combines the actual text with the implied or underlying meanings that the reader relates to, such as in a love story, the actual text can give only a partial story, while a personal experience or empathetic experience can contribute to connecting both aspects into an entire whole. A good example is "The Sea Change" by Earnest Hemmingway.