Structure

The structure of the short story “Tobias” is very simple and follows the consequences of unemployment for the main character and for his relationship with his girlfriend, Miriam. The plot follows a traditional structure in which the narrator includes the narrative technique called self-fulfilling prophecy (a prediction that makes itself come tr…

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Title

The title, “Tobias”, represents the main character’s name and suggests that the story is going to be character-fo…

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Beginning

The short story begins with a straightforward exposition in which the narrator presents Tobias and how he ended up being unemployed: “Tobias had taught history and Spanish in high school before the number of students went do…

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Middle

The middle of the short story encompasses the rising action and the climax which focus on the conflict between Tobias and his girlfriend about him being unemployed and unable to find a new job.

Tension is built in the rising action by presenting an argument between Tobias and Miriam. She claims that Tobias is not making enough efforts to get a job: “She blew out a puff of smoke. ‘Your depression is making me depressed. I wish you were busy. You know: wit…

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Ending

The falling action and the resolution overlap as Miriam gives Tobias a week’s time to move out, deciding to no longer care about his problems: “ ‘The sooner the better. No more of this. No more S…