Talk:Frame story

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Currently his article defines a frame story exclusively as an overarching narrative for a collection of short stories. I think of it as a more general concept of a ('story' or 'stories')-within-a-story, as was covered before the frame story/narrative merge. So this entry would include things like 'Turn of the screw' and 'Heart of Darkness' where the framing narrative serves as an intro and postscript to the main framed story.

Moreover currently Story within a story redirects here! So things like the play-within-the-play in hamlet should be in here. But a google of 'framing narrative' indicates it should be otherwise.

My suggestion would be to resusitate Story within a story and include the current material there plus some historical stuff from previous incarnations.

I'm a newbie so any input would be greatly appreciated. cheers --harry 14:37, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I was thinking the same thing as I read this article, actually. Problem is, I can't come up with a concise and clear way to phrase a better definition. Anyone else have any ideas? Hbackman 22:14, 15 January 2006 (UTC)

See frame story --Wetman 16:51, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

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Hi, I originally added Metamorphoses meaning the Ovid. I know it's borderline, but in the masses of stories branching into other stories, I think there are a few that act as frame tales. Someone changed this to The Golden Ass, figuring it was a disambig issue since Golden Ass is also sometimes known as the Metamorphoses. I just wanted to make sure that Golden Ass really is a frame story (haven't read it), and not just that someone assumed I must have meant Golden Ass because they didn't think the Ovid qualified.

[edit] merge

I feel this page should be redirected to Frame Story; it covers more briefly material that is treated there.

The framing devices mentioned here need not be any form of frame story. Goldfritha 01:13, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree with Goldfritha in that framing devices and frame stories are not necessarily one in the same. There is a clear difference between the Decameron and the plays-witin-a-play of Hamlet or A Midsummer's Night Dream. Framing narratives for collections of stories were/are a literary movement whose hayday lasted over two thousand years and across many cultures. There should be a seperate article to discuss works like the Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Tales of a Wayside Inn, and other story collections that are nestled within frame stories.--Cassmus 08:46, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps a source for some of the confusion is in thinking that the action of A Midsummer's Night Dream is a frame story for "Pyramus and Thisbe".--Wetman 16:51, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Would then a framing story be a specific type of framing device? --Gbleem 19:02, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Right, the only difference being that a framing device is not narrative, for instance as in allegories presented as if they were a series of floats in a parade: "...and then methought I saw...". Hypnerotomachia Poliphili is presented as if it were a dream: there's a quite standard minimally narrative framing device. Martianus Capella's book after book of didactic allegories are all offered as if taking place at the wedding of Philology and Mercury. --Wetman 19:42, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree about Hamlet or A Midsummer's Night Dream, but then you have The Taming of the Shrew, where the play-within-the-play is the main story. Where does that device fit in? --Syd Henderson 06:46, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I hope that it was understood that, when I suggested that the action of A Midsummer's Night Dream might be misunderstood as a frame story for "Pyramus and Thisbe", it was a joke. --Wetman 10:40, 12 November 2006 (UTC)