The Storyteller Questions and Answers
The Storyteller
What is the theme of "The Storyteller" by Saki (H. H. Munro)?
The theme of "The Storyteller" by Saki is that life is unfair and virtue is at least as likely to be punished as it is to be rewarded.
The Storyteller
What is the "Bertha" story the bachelor tells in Saki's "The Storyteller"?
In "The Storyteller," the bachelor tells a story about Bertha, a perfectly behaved girl rewarded with a walk in the Prince's private park. However, her goodness leads to her downfall when a wolf,...
The Storyteller
Bachelor's Character in Saki's "The Storyteller"
In Saki's "The Storyteller," the bachelor is portrayed as a witty and sardonic character. Initially annoyed by the unruly children and their ineffective aunt on a train, he is challenged to tell a...
The Storyteller
How do children's reactions to the bachelor's story create humor in "The Storyteller"?
In "The Storyteller," the children's reactions to the bachelor's inappropriate story create humor because they relish the wicked tale, contrasting with their aunt's boring moralizing. The humor stems...
The Storyteller
The bachelor's description of the aunt and her reaction to his story in "The Storyteller"
The bachelor describes the aunt as an unsuccessful storyteller whose tale fails to entertain her nieces and nephew. In contrast, the bachelor tells an engaging story with a grim ending, which...
The Storyteller
Summary of the plot structure in Saki's "The Storyteller" including rising, climax, and falling actions
In Saki's "The Storyteller," the plot structure includes a rising action where the bachelor begins telling a story to the children on a train. The climax occurs when the story's protagonist, a...
The Storyteller
Characterization and point of view in "The Storyteller" by Saki
"The Storyteller" by Saki employs third-person omniscient point of view, allowing insight into multiple characters' thoughts and feelings. This narrative style enhances the contrast between the...
The Storyteller
How is "The Storyteller" by Saki a satire?
"The Storyteller" by Saki is a satire of conventional moral storytelling. The bachelor’s story mocks the moralistic tales often told to children by making the "horribly good" character's virtue the...
The Storyteller
Setting and Conflict in Saki's "The Storyteller"
In Saki's "The Storyteller," the setting is a train compartment where an aunt struggles to entertain three unruly children. The conflict arises between the aunt and a bachelor passenger who...
The Storyteller
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, what does the aunt mean by "You have undermined the effect of years of careful teaching"?
In Saki's "The Storyteller," the aunt's remark about undermining "years of careful teaching" refers to the bachelor's unconventional story that contradicts traditional moral teachings. While the...
The Storyteller
What is the theme of the bachelor's story in "The Storyteller"?
The theme of the bachelor's story in "The Storyteller" is that goodness does not always protect you from harm, contrasting with the aunt's story that suggests goodness can save you. In the bachelor's...
The Storyteller
What is the overall theme of "The Background" by Saki?
The overarching theme of "The Background" by Saki is a critique of society's idolatry of art, to the extent of disregarding human dignity. Henri Deplis, who bears a masterpiece tattoo on his back,...
The Storyteller
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, why is the bachelor's favored story ironic?
The irony in the bachelor's story lies in his unexpected ability to captivate the children with a nontraditional tale, despite being an unmarried man presumed to lack such skills. His story, which...
The Storyteller
What is the theme of the aunt's story in "The Storyteller" and why might she have chosen it?
The theme of the aunt's story in "The Storyteller" is virtue and its rewards, illustrated by a girl saved from a bull due to her goodness. However, the story fails to engage the children, as both...
The Storyteller
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, who is the central character and what are their physical and psychological traits?
The central character in Saki's "The Storyteller" is a bachelor traveling by train with an aunt and her three unruly children. Physically, he is described mainly through his expressions, such as a...
The Storyteller
How do the ironies in Saki's "The Storyteller" advance the theme?
The ironies in Saki's "The Storyteller" highlight the theme that children find morbid tales more engaging than moralistic ones. Despite his lack of experience, the bachelor's "improper story"...
The Storyteller
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, why does the aunt tell Cyril to look out the window?
The aunt tells Cyril to look out the window to distract him during a train ride, as the children are restless and bored. Cyril's actions of beating the seat cushions create dust, prompting the aunt...
The Storyteller
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, how are the aunt's and bachelor's motives similar?
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, both the aunt and the bachelor share the motive of trying to quiet and control the restless children during a train journey. The aunt attempts to achieve this with a...
The Storyteller
What symbols are present in "The Storyteller" by Saki?
In "The Storyteller" by Saki, several symbols satirize Edwardian society's values. The medals for good behavior ironically lead to the girl's downfall, suggesting that rigid morality can be...
The Storyteller
Why might the children dislike their aunt's story in "The Storyteller"?
The aunt is a bad storyteller whose boring tale doesn't engage the children. The bachelor understands that stories need to be engaging, and he soon wins them over by telling them a much more exciting...
The Storyteller
Where and when does "The Storyteller" take place? What words or phrases suggest this?
"The Storyteller" takes place in a railway carriage on a hot afternoon, nearly an hour away from Templecombe. Phrases that suggest this include "railway carriage," "hot afternoon," and "next stop was...
The Storyteller
How does the setting in "The Storyteller" influence the characters' views on storytelling?
The setting of "The Storyteller"—a hot, boring train journey—influences the characters' views on storytelling by highlighting their need for entertainment. The children, initially disinterested due...
The Storyteller
What conflict does each character face in "The Storyteller"?
In "The Storyteller," the three children face conflicts against person, society, and nature. They are bored and hot, representing nature, and resist their aunt's authority, representing person and...
The Storyteller
How are the children's remarks characterized in Saki's "Storyteller"? What are their traits?
The children's remarks in Saki's "The Storyteller" are characterized by curiosity, alertness, and intelligence. They ask numerous questions to their aunt, demonstrating a natural desire to understand...
The Storyteller
What does the aunt in "The Storyteller" want the bachelor to do?
In "The Storyteller," the aunt wants the bachelor to tell her nephew and nieces a story. She has failed to keep them occupied and entertained, and she challenges the bachelor to do better. He does.
The Storyteller
How do the authors of "The Storyteller" and "The Stolen Party" treat the "man versus man" conflict?
Both "The Storyteller" by Saki and "The Stolen Party" by Liliana Heker explore "man versus man" conflict through different dynamics. In "The Storyteller," the bachelor and the aunt clash over...
The Storyteller
How does the aunt underestimate the children in Saki's "The Storyteller"?
In "The Storyteller," the aunt underestimates the children's interest and capacity for engaging stories. She assumes they lack the attention span and taste for stories with dark elements, as...