Skin

British author Roald Dahl (1916-1990) is best known for his children’s books, many of which have been adapted into films. Novels like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) and Matilda (1988) typify the author’s whimsical yet grotesque style. Unexpected plot twists and a macabre atmosphere are also found in Dahl’s shorter works, such as “Skin,” one of Dahl’s 60 stories written for adults. Originally published in the May 17, 1952, issue of The New Yorker, “Skin” was later published in the collections Someone Like You (1953) and Skin and Other Stories (2000).

“Skin” is structured as a frame narrative, a story told within a story, and utilizes a third-person limited point of view. Foreshadowing, irony, and conflict develop themes such as Dehumanization and Objectification and The Great Divide. This analysis refers to the Puffin edition of Dahl’s collection Skin and Other Stories (2001).

The protagonist, Drioli, is an old man. As the story opens in 1946, he is hungry and cold, aimlessly wandering the streets of Paris.