Point of View

The story is told in third-person omniscient point of view. This means that the narrator knows the thoughts and actions of all the characters. The narrator sets the story in fairy-tale mode- "In the very olden time"-and then addresses the reader directly, in the first-person mode, after the young man makes his choice. The narrator comments on the story, elaborating on the princess's role, and challenging the reader to consider wisely, because "it is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer [the question of her decision]. And so I leave it with all of you." The purpose of this address is to place the responsibility for analyzing the story and answering the question posed in the story's title squarely upon the reader's shoulders.

Setting

The story is set in an imaginary time and place, in a...