Structure

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Beginning

The short story begins in medias res, or in the middle of events. The exposition opens with Nick recovering after his fall from the train.

Through a backstory, Nick recounts how he was discovered by the brakeman as a stowaway and thrown off the train: “ ‘Come here, kid, I got something for you.’ Then w…

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Middle

The rising action is triggered by Nick noticing a light in the nearby woods. A tension point is created when Nick sees a man sitting by the fire and approaches him.

A tension point is also created when Nick observes the man’s disfigured face: “ ‘Don’t you like my pan?’ the man asked” (l. 69). Another tension point immediately follows as the man tells Nick that he is crazy (l. 86).

Another man called Bugs appears with food, and the men sit down to eat. As Nick uses his knife to cut the bread, Ad asks to borrow the knife but Bugs st…

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Ending

In the falling action, Bugs gently places Ad on the ground: “The negro picked him up, his head hanging, and carried him to the fire. His face looked bad, the eyes open. Bugs laid him down gently” (ll. 191-193). Nick and Bugs talk about the now unconscious Ad and, through a backstory, Bugs explains how Ad ended up in his curren…