Would you have been satisfied if the story had stopped when the treasure was discovered? What more do you want to know?
What, then, is the main incident? Was the main incident the last to occur in order of time? Why did Poe delay telling it until the end?
[42] Do you see how relating the story in the first person helped him to throw the main incident last? Why could he not tell it before?
Does Poe tell any other stories in the first person?
In what person are “Treasure Island” and “Kidnapped” told? Are they interesting?
If a friend is telling you a story, do you care more for it if it is about a third party or about himself? Why?
What, then, is the advantage of making an actor the narrator? What are some of the disadvantages?
Do you think this plot as good as those of Hawthorne’s stories?
Why was it necessary to have “a day of remarkable chilliness” (p. 3), and a Newfoundland dog rushing into the room (p. 6)?
What principle would it violate to omit these little matters? (Text-book, p. [24].)