Alice Munroe's 'Royal Beatings'

In a short story there are characteristics that are central to making it a successful story. Two of the main features that make a story enjoyable are a captivating and interesting plot and the focus of a story on a single character. These two features are essential to a good story for two reasons, an interesting plot makes for an engaging read and the development of one main character gives the reader a chance to experience a more life-like, revealing look into a characters’ life.

A captivating and interesting plot is one main feature of any story that makes it a success. In Alice Munroe’s “Royal Beatings,” the reader is almost immediately captivated by the first line, “Royal beating. That was Flo’s promise.” This first line draws the reader