Age, Formative

By Rolf Potts

1) What style is used by the author in narration? Linear, flashback, in medias res, cliff hanger, or slice of
life?

The author used slice of life as the way of narration, because In literary parlance, the term "slice of
life" refers to a storytelling technique that presents a seemingly arbitrary sample of a character's life,
which often lacks a coherent plot, conflict, or ending. The story may have little plot progress and often
has no exposition, conflict, or dénouement, but rather has an open ending. As I read the short story, at
first, I was confused of what was happening to the character, but I notice that it does not follow any plot
nor have any exposition and coherence, because the reader can start right at the middle part or at the
end part.

2) Where and when the story take place?

There is no definite place and time where and when the story happened because it is narrated using
slice of life where there is no definitie plot, conflict, or ending. In addition, the place and time is vague
and somehow abstract. However, the age of the character is the only time given in the selection (e.g.
When I was seven years old).

3) What is the central conflict or problem in the story?

The central conflict of the story are the solaces and predicaments faced by the different child
orphans or the children in general--the characters in the story.

4) Who are the major characters? What kind of roles do they portray? Who are the minor characters?
What kind of development do they undergo?

The major characters are the children in the story. They portray every child that was victimized by
different circumstances. The minor characters are the people around the children or orphans that
detoriated or completed their happiness. There is no much development happened to the minor
characters because they are just presented in a short time or sentence, but the minor characters directly
done their part in the story without developments.

5) What is the highest part of the story?

There is no highest part of the story because slice of life narrative often lacks a coherent plot. However, I
think that the whole story itself was the highest part of the story, because it presented every solace and
predicament happened in every child.

6) What happened at the end of the story?

There is no definite ending because the slice of life narrative does not have definite ending but rather an
open-ended ending. The ending goes back to the birth of the character saying that, when I was born, I
became the visible corner of a folded map.
7) Given a chance to change the story, how will you end it?

I will end it in a lighter note, I will show how thankful and happy her parent was when she was born.