The short story “A Village Singer” is a satire of peaceful American life. The story is set in New England, in what is supposed to be a quiet town. For example, consider the descriptions of the town at the beginning of the story:

the tender harmony of the leaves and the south wind, and the sweet, desultory whistles of birds — when the choir arose and began to sing.

The imagery here suggests that this is a serene environment. In addition, the precise focus on the choir suggests that the choir plays a role in maintaining the harmony of the town. This is not the case, of course. The drama and tension between Candace and the choir in this story exposes the imperfections in what initially comes across as a perfect village. Through this, Freeman critiques the notion that New England life, and village life in general, is an uneventful, harmonious environment.

Freeman also uses a lot of irony in the story. She uses situational irony, which occurs when characters do the opposite of what is expected of them. For example, in this story, the choir expected Candace to know that her voice had changed. She still thinks her singing is beautiful, but the narrator describes it as a “shrill clamor.” Given the poor quality of her voice, the choir members expected Candace to accept her resignation and did not expect her to fight it. The reader also expects Candace to make amends at the end, but she continues to be critical of Alma until her last moment. The way that Candace fights back until the very end is representative of situational irony.