In literature, a story within a story occurs when the character of a story or narrative, for example, a novel, play or short story introduces and tells a different story which creates an inner story inside the original or outside story, that serves as a framing narrative. This is a literary device mainly used to convey a message, entertain or even introduce background information about the characters or plot of the outside story, which usually makes the original story more complex. Additionally, a story within a story is not exclusive from literature but has been applied in other fields including movies. Considering this it can be concluded a tale told by a character within a framing fictional narrative refers or is called a story within a story.
