In "The Story-Teller," why are the children delighted when the bachelor describes Bertha as “horribly good”? They find the choic
e of words to be unexpected and surprising. They want the bachelor to keep telling the story. The children like stories about horrible children. The children hope something bad happens to Bertha.
They find the choice of words to be unexpected and surprising.
Explanation:
In the story "The Story-Teller", H.H Munro presents a picture of the reality and wants of the children. The children in the story want to listen about reality and not about the superficial world.
The story told by the aunt was boring and about the expectation that society wants from the children. The children lacked interest in such stories because of the representation of the main character. When the bachelor told the story about Bertha and described her to be 'horribly good', the children gained the interest in the story. The description brought a different view about the girl and brought surprise in her characterization.
I would say that the intended meaning of that hyperbole is that the speaker thinks that the colonists are being unfairly treated by the British government.
