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Jack narrated the story of Roger Skunk to Jo. The story effectively brings out Jack’s emotions and the child’s perspective. Jack creates a story out of his mind with autobiographical details. In Roger Skunk’s isolation, he recalls “certain humiliations of his own”. He wishes Jo to know “something true”, something she must know “and has (had) no wish to hurry on”. Jack wishes her to realize that the skunk’s mommy loves him very much. She knows what is right for him. He defends the skunk’s mommy from Jo’s allegation of her being stupid, with rare emphasis, as though he was defending his own mother to her.
With Jo, on the other hand, Updike successfully brings out the child’s perspective. She has learnt about a new creature, a skunk, at nursery school, and wants him as the hero of her bedtime story. Her joy and sorrow is linked to that of the protagonist, the skunk. She does not want to dwell on his sorrow. On the contrary, she wants him to get over his troubles quickly and wishes for the story to have a happy ending. She expresses her emotions, likes and dislikes immediately, like any other four-year-old. She longs for the story to end on an optimistic note—“that the wizard took that magic wand and hit that mommy”.