Nell

Nell is a recurring character throughout the collection. She is the protagonist of the short stories “First Aid,” “Two Scorched Men,” “Morte de Smudgie,” “A Dusty Lunch,” “Widows,” “Wooden Box,” and “Old Babes in the Wood.” A third person narrator inhabits and presents her experiences and perceptions of the world in “First Aid,” “Morte de Smudgie,” “Wooden Box,” and “Old Babes in the Wood.” By way of contrast Nell narrates “Two Scorched Men,” “A Dusty Lunch,” and “Widows” from her first person point of view.

Nell has had a relationship with Tig for many years. In “First Aid,” she and Tig are taking a first aid class together in preparation for “giving talks on a nature-tour cruise ship, birds for him, butterfly for her: their hobbies” (6). The class lessons and their instructor Mr. Foote’s horrific stories inspire Nell to reflect on her life with Tig. After completing...