The Girl Who Owned a City

Storytelling serves an important function, particularly in the early parts of the novel. Several chapters end with Lisa telling Todd a bedtime story, and these stories all contain a lesson that establishes a theme or argument the novel intends to make: First “Todd” learns to fish in order to contribute to the family; next “Todd” and “Lisa” learn to make and sell candles in order to earn a happy Christmas; finally, Lisa tells Todd a story about a king who learns that everyone—including his own son—must earn their own way to be happy, while also reinforcing that knowledge is the most valuable commodity. These stories mirror and justify the novel itself, which attempts to instill a particular set of values through narrative means. These stories also help to mark the progression of Todd’s maturity; the first two stories appear in Part I, but as Todd matures, it takes some time before we get the third story. Eventually, when Todd and the others care for Lisa after she’s shot, the tables turn and it’s Todd’s turn to tell Lisa stories (though he isn’t very successful).