The Narrator

The twelve-year-old girl is the narrator of the story, and all events that transpire are filtered through her perspective. The young girl is with her mother, whom she considers to be the pinnacle of authority and wisdom. When her mother is bamboozled by the old man, the young girl is entertained by the situation, which shows that she admires mischief, while her mother dislikes it. Concerning her relationship with her mother, at first, her mother is authoritative, but the dynamic of their relationship shifts such that the daughter finds herself in a position of authority, as is explored below.

The young girl’s role as the narrator of the story demonstrates her lack of understanding concerning what power is. When she introduces herself and her mother, she claims that she is twelve years old and her mother is thirty-four, but the young girl is “nearly as tall...