The girl

The girl is a secondary character in the story “A Fable” by Robert Fox. Her outer characterization is constructed through the eyes of the narrator and through her language: “Among them were a mother and daughter who were going shopping. The daughter was a beautiful girl with blond hair and soft-looking skin.” (p. 31, ll. 9-11)

Just like the young man, the girl is not given a name, an age, or an occupation. The fact that the narrator refers to her as a girl shows that she is probably very young and, therefore, inexperienced in life. Unlike the young man, who is going to work, she is going shopping with her mother, which is the first indication that she is presented as a stereotype of a girl who is preoccupied with spending money instead of earning it. She also does not have any other love interest (p. 33, ll. 14-16) than the young man.

The girl’s inner characterization is constructed through her language and actions.

She is, at first, made uncomfortable by the young man’s stare and confesses this to her mother. Moreover, she asks her what she should do (p. 31, l. 13), which emphasizes her lack of experience with men but also that she relies on her ...