"None of That" Narrator

The narrator of “None of That” remains unnamed throughout the short story. She is a young girl of indeterminate age. In that she is able to drive a car, the reader can infer that she is at least 16 years old. In the story’s narrative present, the narrator is frustrated with her mother. Ever since she can remember, her mother has forced her to accompany her on outings to other people’s houses. Her mother is indeed obsessed with others’ homes, and finds sneaky ways of infiltrating their spaces, rearranging things in their yards, meddling with their gardens, or stealing their belongings. Although the narrator wants to understand her mother’s reasons for doing these things, she knows that asking will upset her.

One night, the narrator and her mother get caught in the mud while out on one of their house-viewing excursions. The narrator...