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A frame story is a literary technique where an initial story is used to set up a second story with more emphasis. The narrator or character introduces the second story, inviting the reader to follow. This technique is popular in literature, film, and television, and has been used for centuries. An example is Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,” where the character Geoffrey Crayon frames the main story.
Writers often use various literary techniques to draw the reader into a story and help create a compelling yet still interesting narrative. One such technique is the use of a frame story. When such a technique is used, the writer will create a story early on that will generally not be the main focus of the rest of the narrative. Instead, this initial story will be used to set up, or frame, the second story, which usually has more emphasis or importance. The storyline has been used for centuries and remains popular in various forms of literature as well as other media such as television or film.
An example of a frame story might involve a writer developing a main character or a narrator starting to tell a story about himself in the present. This character will often address readers directly, or otherwise refer to the fact that his role is one of the narrative, not necessarily that of the action in the story. Once this narrator or character has been introduced, he will generally begin to tell another story, thus essentially inviting the reader to follow him on this narrative journey. The story structure of the story may allow the writer to provide context to the reader for the main story before launching into it.
The narrator can also be used as a frame story tool by setting up the reader for various narratives. The narrator may appear periodically throughout the text to make references, clarify events, or provide expository information that will prepare the reader for the next story. This technique is most often used in film and television, although the roots of the technique can be found in various texts throughout history.
The frame story is well demonstrated in Washington Irving’s short story, “Rip Van Winkle.” The main focus of the story revolves around the character, Rip Van Winkle, and his experiences in the Catskill Mountains, but the narrative is picked up by a character named Geoffrey Crayon. The creation of this Crayon character indicates to the reader that it is not Irving who is telling the story of Rip Van Winkle, but Geoffrey Crayon instead, thus removing the actual author from the narrative altogether as if inviting the reader to consider the narratives real and therefore more addictive. The reader is essentially hearing Rip Van Winkle’s story through Geoffrey Crayon’s frame or vision.
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