Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
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Frame and Cumulative Tales

Stories built by nesting or accumulation, including the frame story in which an opening narrative introduces a set of shorter tales, and the cumulative tale that repeats and adds a detail at each step. A genre belongs here when its cited article describes a story structure of nested tales or of repeated additions. It excludes single self contained tales. The group is organised by form and tradition so that a reader can compare related genres side by side.

Frame and Cumulative Tales
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Frame Story (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)
  • Has Member: Frame Tale Collection, Section text
    The frame story leads readers from a first story into one or more other in-depth stories within it.
  • Has Member: Frame Story, Wikipedia article Frame story, lead paragraph
    is the literary technique and narrative structure in which an opening narrative introduces either a more emphasized second narrative or a set of shorter tales.
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Cumulative Tale (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Has Member: Cumulative Tale, Lead section
Quote, Has Member: Cumulative Tale, Lead section
In a cumulative tale, sometimes also called a chain tale, action or dialogue repeats and builds up in some way as the tale progresses.
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