Structure

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Middle 

In the rising action, the woman asks a “smartly dressed matron” (p. 62, l. 6) for money, explaining her need: “ ‘I’ve got to have it. The Social Security’s on strike and I’ve got to feed my kids.’ ” (p. 62, ll. 8-9). This introduces the main conflict of the story, between the woman and the DHSS.

Tension also rises as a man who has noticed the incident pays instead of the woman at the check-out desk, leading to a conflict between the woman and himself: “By the time the girl he had been following understood what he was doing it was too late. ‘OK’, he said, ‘let’s fight it out outside.’ ” (p. 63, ll. 15-17). The man asks her to have a cup of coffee with him at a nearby café, which increases the tension, as the woman is suspicious and reluctant at first. The external conflict between the woman and the man remains, despite her accepting his help: “ ‘Don’t think you’re going to get something out of this because you won’t,’ she said angrily.” (p. 64, ll. 3-4)

The tension rises as the man confesses that he used to work in a DHHS office, which leads to a significant increase in the woman’s anger:…