The Story Teller By H. H Munro Analysis

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“The Story-Teller” is a short story by H. H. Munro who goes by the pseudonym of Saki. The story is about a man who tells a story about the potential difficulties in life to an aunt and three children. The story explores the idea that although being especially bad has its consequences, as well as anyone who is exceptionally good also can attract misfortune just by standing out from the crowd. Munro used the story the bachelor told to portray aspects of modern society using the characters and location of his tale.
Munro uses his children characters to set up the bachelor’s story. They are the most obvious symbol in the whole story. They represent society has a whole and their views are intended to be identical to that of the public. Society expects exceptional virtue to be rewarded exceptionally just as the kids did in the story. Munro writes "Come over here and listen to a story,’ said the aunt, when the bachelor had looked twice at her and once at the communication cord. The children moved listlessly towards the aunt’s end of the carriage. Evidently her reputation as a story-teller did not rank high in their estimation.” They thought they would be rewarded with a good story or some other means if they listened to their aunt’s story. They commented on it saying “it was the stupidest story I’ve ever heard” and “I didn’t listen after the first bit, it was so stupid” but they didn’t give the story a chance. They like modern society are looking for instant gratification. They’re constantly looking for their big break, and when the bachelor tells his story, they’re rewarded with interest and surprise as almost a prediction of how society will respond as well.
The use of The Good Girl, known as Bertha, in his story is one of the key p...

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...interest rather than of pleasure as well as the corrupted and bias views of society. Regardless, the garden symbolizes the gifts given to those who are virtuous and off-limits to those who are not. This idea of a reward for goodness is an idea owned by the children on the train and, therefore, by society as a whole.
The short story told through the bachelor by H. H. Munro has a deeper meaning than most can see. It’s really a good story that involves all of society into a smaller yet true story. It’s a story told in many different ways but Munro really captured two main ideas. His first main idea was exceptional virtue is not always rewarded exceptionally as proven by Bertha being eaten by the wolf and his second idea of being exceptional can attract both positive and negative fortune. They’re lessons that every person has or will learn sometime in their lifetime.

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