1. Speak on the function of different plot-structure patterns.

A Retrieved Reformation

The Story-Teller

Summary of the story:

The story is written by O. Henry and tells us about the life of a man with 2 personalities at the same time: Jimmy Valentine, who used to crack saves and Mr. Ralph Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes, who wanted to start a new life with a beloved woman.

The story is written by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) and tells us about a group of people: an aunt with 3 children and a bachelor. The aunt tried to come down the children by telling them a story. But it was so dull for them that this bachelor had to tell another one, much improper that the aunt’s one.

Narration:

The story is 3^rd person narration and the main form of presentation is narration with elements of dialogue. The story told from this point of view is more confiding and sounds true to life. Though told from the 3^rd point of view it nevertheless helps us to feel an emotional connection with all characters. The author tries to reveal Jimmy’s personality both with the help of his thoughts, words and actions and the author’s description of the events, to show us his hard way of gaining a better life.

Though the story is told from the 3d person point of view, we can say that the events are shown through a bachelor’s perception. As well as in “ARR” the main form of presentation is narration with elements of dialogue and here the characters are described from the outside only.

Development (body):

The author uses the straight line narrative, which means that the sequencing of events in the narrative is chronological. And as the plot comprises a variety of events it makes the reading easier and doesn’t allow us to confuse with these events.

The story opens with a scene in the prison and the exposition introduces us to a convict, Jimmy Valentine, who appears in front of us as a man with a good sense of humor, never giving way to despair and ready to changings.

The story develops as the confrontation of 2 persons: Jimmy and Ben Price. Jimmy becomes Ralph, starts a new life, makes many friends, wins the respect of the community, his business is flourising and he and Annabel are engaged to be married. But nevertheless we don’t forget about the mystery we’re trusted to.

And Ben Price tries to catch Jimmy during the whole story.

The complications are moving. First of all they are formed by feelings and then by actions. When Ralph meets Annabel, he becomes more and more captivated by her charms. And Annabel’s pride in him almost equal her affection. She believes in him. So Ralph has no right to disappoint Annabel, that’s why he decides to quit the old business. I suppose the conflict (the rising action) occurs within the character’s own mind, as Ralph is afraid of having old scores brought up against him.

I can say that the complications are formed by actions, when Ralph has to pass away and Jimmy Valentine takes his place to save the girls from the vault. He opens his suitcase and everyone watches him as if under a spell.

In some way the climax is the resolution of the conflict. It comes at the end of the story when Ralph reveals his secret and everyone watches him cracking the safe to save the girl. This makes not only the climax of the story a surprise ending. The ending comes out as a complete surprise too.

To my mind the ending takes the form of both resolution and decision. It may be called a resolution, because Ralph wins in the conflict between him and Ben, because to his surprise he is not arrested in the end. But it also may be called a decision as in the end Ralph makes up his mind that his secret isn’t worth the girl’s life. So he rescues the life he has been creating during a long time because Annabel asks him to try and do something. As to a woman nothing seems quite impossible to the powers of the man she worships.

The author uses a frame structure which makes the plot more complex, as we have a story within the story. What I mean is that in the story itself a bachelor tells the children another story. And both of them are exciting.

The story opens with a short description of the characters. That is the main function of the exposition is to introduce the characters to us and to deliver the exciting atmosphere which is created at the beginning of the story and excites our mind by interesting personalities of both the adults and the children, who ask in the aunt’s opinion silly questions. But exactly these silly and funny questions enthrall us to read the story with even greater enthusiasm.

The complications are arranged in a chronological order. The complications are breathtaking and exhilarating as the aunt fails to interest the children with her story, and now the bachelor who supposes that the aunt as a story-teller doesn’t rank high in the children’s estimation, is going to make an attempt and to fascinate the children with his story.

The rising action in the story allows us to hear the story about a good girl in a different manner. Particularly, he notices that this good girl wasn’t as pretty as anyone of these children, but ‘she was horribly good’. And this word ‘horribly’ in connection with goodness was a novelty that commended the children and led to a wave of reaction in favour of the story. Further the reader is invited/encouraged to know about the medals the good girl got, the prince she met and so on.

The culmination point is when the good girl was eaten by a bad wolf, which had a moral that being good won’t save you from different problems. In fact in this story exactly the medals for the girl’s goodness were to lead her to death.

Then comes the falling action when the children are excited by the story, but the aunt is shocked as in her opinion it is the most improper story she has ever heard. The carriage comes to its destination and observing the aunt and the children leaving it, the bachelor sympathize with the aunt who will have to tell her children such improper stories for a long time.

The story doesn’t contain all the components of plot structure: it doesn’t have ending which is left out for us to achieve this exciting feeling of imagining the aunt’s future pastime with the children.

Conclusion (summing up and personal impression):

The story made a favourable impression on me because it discloses the main idea of the story: human nature and inner conflicts. The author skillfully creates the picture of Jimmy Valentine, showing in the end that he is really a good fellow at heart.

In conclusion I can say that the plot unfolds as the main character deals with conflicts and arouses the reader’s excitement and emotions.

The story also made a favourable impression on me because it is funny and arouses the reader’s excitement, but at the same time brings a moral and relevant issues. As to my mind the author puts the question of children’s upbringing in the focus of our attention. As children should be taught not only good, but should be told about that bad which exists in the world, how to differentiate and accept it and struggle with it. They should the real life too.

All in all the both stories are written in a humorous style.

The plot of the story is simple though frame structure is used. And besides it is intriguing and impressive.