The Bookkeeper's Wife Setting

What makes up the best story? Is it the character development, the length, the flow and structure, or the setting, maybe a gut wrenching plot twist? There are different combinations of criteria used to determine if a story qualifies as the best or not. Although I think the strongest set of criteria is: the purpose of the story, details in the story (information about the characters, the setting, background information that shapes the story). These two requirements involve important parts to a working story. Readers always think “what is the purpose for this”? As well, details have great importance to a story, especially when dealing with characters and setting. As readers, the characters in a story become almost lifelike to the reader, and

As with “The Strategy of the Were-Wolf Dog” this story covers several important pieces. As like with our first story, Cather gives good details regarding the setting of the story. The Remsen Paper Company is where the main character Percy works. Cather writes, “tall buildings flushed with the winter sunset, at the hundreds of windows, so many rectangles of white electric light, flashing against the broad waves of violet that ebbed the sky” (Cather “The Bookkeeper’s Wife”). The reader is made aware that Percy's work is in the city. This is a connection between this story and the first story. Cather again, gives visual information, but other general information about the setting. Another piece of general information Cather gives about the story is, “Remsen Paper Company was a very wealthy concern,with easy, old fashioned working methods” (Cather “The Bookkeeper’s

Cather describes Percy as having a “smooth, thin face” (Cather “The Bookkeeper's Wife”). We also get a description of his personality as well. Cather writes, “his ledgers were all in their places, his desks was in order, his office coat on his peg” (Cather “The Bookkeeper’s Wife”). By Cather’s description of Percy desk, the reader is able to see that Percy likes neatness. As well, he elikes things the way he does, and that is how they will be. The second main character that the readers get introduced to is Stella, the girl who Percy wanted to be with. Stella is described to have “pale primrose hair, pale blue eyes” (Cather “The Bookkeepers Wife”). Stella is described also as, being “extravagant” (Cather “The Bookkeeper’s Wife). This seems to describe Stella’s personality, she likes the fancier things in life. Another description of stella is, “she makes good money” (Cather “The Bookkeeper's Wife”). That description connects Percy’s idea, that he needs to take the money from his work, in order to be with Stella. In both stories, the readers gets wel rounded descriptions of the