Analysis
This section highlights the main elements of our analysis of the story “The Third Dumpster” by Gish Jen.
The story’s plot structure is linear and features narrative techniques such as backstories. The story presents two brothers who buy and renovate a house for their parents because they do not want their parents to move in with one of them.
The main characters of the story are Goodwin Lee and his brother, Morehouse. Their parents and the two illegal workers are secondary characters.
The events take place in the United States of America. The social setting explores contemporary issues in American society, such as immigration and exploitation.
The events are described by an omniscient third-person narrator who is reliable but subjective. The narrator is mostly explicit because he or she openly presents the events of the narrative and the characters’ state of mind
The style of writing is informal and fragmented. The text also features numerous contrasts created around the characters and the setting of the story.
You can find a full analysis of the story in the following pages.