Perspectives

To engage in a broader conversation about “Eel” by Stefanie Seddon, we recommend that you also consider the literary period when it was written as well as similar works.

Literary period

The short story fits the literary movement we call postmodernism. Postmodernist works can be recognized through particular themes, context, and narrative techniques. In “Eel”, we notice that the author explores universal themes like sibling relationships, childhood, and growing up.

In terms of narrative techniques, “Eel” uses relatable characters in recognizable situations, briefly employs irony, and hints that the narrator might be unreliable. These narrative techniques are often used by postmodernist writers.

The story also focuses on descriptions of the characters and the physical setting, but it does not dr...