The Storyteller

The embedded narrative structure of “The Story-Teller” allows the story to convey multiple layers of meaning and critique within a very confined space. The frame story elements contain all the trappings of Edwardian England common in many of Munro’s stories, including the train car setting, faceless characters differentiated by roles rather than names, and a picturesque British countryside just outside the train car windows. Meanwhile, the stories told by both the aunt and the bachelor mimic the sound and content of a traditional children’s tale, including good little girls, monster-like villains (the bull and the wolf), and moral lessons to be learned. In this way, Munro constructs both a parody of those traditional children’s tales and a critique of British social conventions.

The third-person omniscient point of view likewise permits the reader access to the thoughts of various characters and see the characters from the points of view of the others around them. This is most useful for the aunt and the bachelor. For instance, the reader is offered the

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