The Executioner's Beautiful Daughter

The Executioner’s Beautiful Daughter was an enthralling short story where I love it but I know that I should have hated it. The Executioner’s Beautiful Daughter by Angela Carter was enthralling tale which, besides the fact that the title suggests that it should be a beautiful daughter, is generally about the social statues of the village in which she lives in. This is a classic example of one of the most important aspects of game design, where the world in which the event takes place in is more interesting then the event itself. Most of the writing in this short story revolves around that of executioner, revolving around what he looks like and what his habits are as an executioner. But this is all done to give us a understanding of the world he lives in and why, through social customs, he is the person he is.

                The beginning of the short story is by far the most engrossing and fascinating part of the story. This is because the details in which Carter explains the scene totally took me in. The description of the Executioner is very intense, setting us up for the shocking reveal of the victim himself, which then also sets us up perfectly for the rest of the story. It is due to the death of the brother, we as readers; start wondering about the sister and what to understand the significance of the title. I was actually bewildered that there were less details about the daughter in general, as the title of insinuates that the short story would revolve around her. However, Carter instead details the surrounding elements that are connected to the executioner’s daughter. This gives us the reader, a good basis as to ascertain the personality and life of the executioner’s daughter, which in my opinion is what makes this piece so intriguing.

                This short story has changed my view in general in the amount of depth a short story can provide a reader. Though less then I would wish in any story, the details was presented in an interesting way where I felt that every detail to understand the story and even give it some depth.