Walker Brothers Cowboy

The chronology of a narrative denotes the order of events, or the sequence of the plot. Alice Munro is well-known for complicating the chronology of her short stories, a literary technique that was common in novels before it came to be used frequently in the short story genre as well. This is one of the many ways in which Munro has proven herself to be a pioneer of the short story genre.

In “Walker Brothers Cowboy,” the events don’t unfold in sequential order as the characters experienced them. The story opens with a walk after supper one evening. Then, as the narrator is describing her home and family, the story slides seamlessly into the description of the main action of the story—the afternoon drive to visit Nora Cronin. It is unclear if that drive was earlier the same day or on a different day in the recent past. This literary technique reinforces the story’s thematic interest in memory and the past. It also adds verisimilitude to the narrative, as the progression of the story feels natural and conversational, rather than strictly structured.