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Alice MunroA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The chronology of a narrative denotes the order of events, or the sequence of the plot. Alice Munro is well-known for complicating the chronology of her short stories, a literary technique that was common in novels before it came to be used frequently in the short story genre as well. This is one of the many ways in which Munro has proven herself to be a pioneer of the short story genre.
In “Walker Brothers Cowboy,” the events don’t unfold in sequential order as the characters experienced them. The story opens with a walk after supper one evening. Then, as the narrator is describing her home and family, the story slides seamlessly into the description of the main action of the story—the afternoon drive to visit Nora Cronin. It is unclear if that drive was earlier the same day or on a different day in the recent past. This literary technique reinforces the story’s thematic interest in memory and the past. It also adds verisimilitude to the narrative, as the progression of the story feels natural and conversational, rather than strictly structured.
By Alice Munro
Boys And Girls
Boys And Girls
Alice Munro
Dance of the Happy Shades: And Other Stories
Dance of the Happy Shades: And Other Stories
Alice Munro
Dear Life
Dear Life
Alice Munro
Friend of My Youth
Friend of My Youth
Alice Munro
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Alice Munro
How I Met My Husband
How I Met My Husband
Alice Munro
Lives of Girls and Women
Lives of Girls and Women
Alice Munro
The Bear Came over the Mountain
The Bear Came over the Mountain
Alice Munro
The Beggar Maid
The Beggar Maid
Alice Munro
The Love Of A Good Woman
The Love Of A Good Woman
Alice Munro
The View from Castle Rock
The View from Castle Rock
Alice Munro
Too Much Happiness
Too Much Happiness
Alice Munro