Structure

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Beginning

The story begins in an intriguing way: “It's exciting to get to know your new kitchen and its appliances. The white promise of the stove-top” (ll. 1-2). The opening line hooks readers’ attention because it only presents the setting and nothing about the characters.

The exposition continues with the description of the setting, until t…

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Middle

The middle of the short story does not have a typical rising action, something which also leads to the story having no real climax. The focus of the story is the narrator’s inner conflict.

First, the plot presents some background details about the man. It mentions that he “was away shooting” (l. 29) with reference to war zones, suggesting that he is a photographer who covers international conflicts.

The inner conflict is that the narrator struggles between the normal life he has at home and what he sees while he is working in war zones. The narrator’s tension is suggested by his inab…

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Ending

The ending includes something similar to a falling action, where the narrator avoids Jenna and goes to the garage where he finds a box with things from his childhood. Among the things there is a traditional Japanese doll used for setting goals.

The resolution shows the narrator setting a new, undisclosed goal suggested by him colouring in the eye of…