Narrator and point of view

The short story “Eel” by Stefanie Seddon is mostly told in the past tense and is a first-person narration. The narrator is Archie, the main character, who is most likely an adult who recounts an event from his childhood.

The narration starts with the lesson learned by the main character on that particular day. This is interesting in the sense that the story begins, in a way, with the conclusion of the events:

That was the day I learned you should never try to pull your fingers out of an eel’s mouth, not a live one or a dead one. Not if you want to have any skin left to carry him home with, and especially not if it’s a twenty-pound silver-belly. (l. 1-3)

The narrator shares his thoughts with the readers using the present tense: “I swear it was me, and me alone, who got him caught.” (l. 4). This is an exception from the past tense and an exaggeration, as the story further reveals that the brothers catch the eel together. This detail makes the narrator seem unreliable and keen to over-emphasise his role.

The narration then continues with a description of the events that led to Archie finding a big eel in the river. The description is mixed with Archie’s reflections and observations; sometimes, he also shares his feelings with the readers. Archie’s mother allows him to go eel fishing wit...