Characters Description: Comments on Sketches Essay

Bullet in the Brain

The story “Bullet in the Brain” published in the book by Burroway (2014) belongs to the genre of fiction and contains the vivid images of characters. The protagonist of this work is Anders who is a book critic and is standing in line at the bank. He is a rather cynical person, but it is this character that is ultimately killed; therefore, he is the key figure of the story. Anders wants to make a financial operation and enters the bank before it is closed, but the line is too long, and in addition, one of the windows closes at a break, which makes the main character angry. In a dialogue with a woman before him, Anders emphasizes his image with irony and sarcasm. However, the main conflict arises between the man and the bank robber who pays attention to the protagonist and ultimately kills him.

The robber is the antagonist of the story, and his negative image is accentuated by various details – fetid breath, clumsy figure, and the rough manner of communication. He notices that Anders behaves impudently towards him and disrespects orders. As a result, when seeing that the book critic intentionally makes fun of certain phrases and orders to shut up, the robber kills him, shooting Anders in his head.

The story is a third-person narrative, and a limited omniscient point of view is presented. This technique allows describing the overall picture, but the reader does not receive comprehensive information about each individual character, his or her motives, and the reasons for specific behavior. It is done in order to achieve the effect of analyzing certain actions or decisions. A short story does not allow explaining each step in detail, and this method encourages readers to reflect on certain plot twists on their own.

Girl

The story “Girl” included in the book by Burroway (2014) is an unusual narrative with a non-standard plot. In the work, there are no pronounced characters with names and individual history. Nevertheless, based on the characteristics of the narration, it becomes clear that the protagonist is a girl and, most likely, a daughter. She never says a single phrase, and the whole plot is built on moralizing, taboos banning to do something, and orders to perform certain actions. The main conflict arises between the girl and her mother, although it is not explicitly mentioned, and there is no any response from the protagonist.

The antagonist of the story is most likely the mother of the girl who appears as a grumpy and domineering character. Throughout the narrative, only her phrases are mentioned, and the whole plot is built in the form of a single sentence combined into a comprehensive picture. The mother’s morals force the girl to behave in a certain way and, despite the lack of reaction, orders do not cease to be received, and prohibitions are listed.

The first-person narrative in the format of a single sentence is the technique that is used to engage the reader in thinking about the implication of the story and its accompanying details. The main acting character is most likely the mother who retells numerous demands in relation to her daughter. Despite the absence of additional details, it is easy to understand that imperious orders are the typical style of communication for this woman, and throughout the story, different rude phrases emphasize this idea.

Comments on Sketches

The story “Bigfoot Stole My Wife” described in the context of its characters’ description is presented extensively enough. The protagonist and antagonist are identified, and the conflict is also described in detail. It is worth clarifying the following: is Rick’s wife a negative character or not? Who initiated the conflict that has caused the whole story? These facts may allow a better understanding of the essence of the author’s ideas and possible overtones. However, all the necessary details are affected, and the type of narration is determined correctly.

The story “Incarnations of Burned Children” is summarized, but the whole context of the plot is not clear enough. What is boiling water and when does it come from, and why is it mentioned? Why do the Daddy and the Mommy are antagonists if they wanted to help their child? Also, the conclusion concerning a person’s worst enemy is not explained. Some details need to be clarified, but the type of narration is correct.

The analysis of “Tandolfo the Great” that is described is the quality summary of the story. The conflict is described carefully, and questions may relate exclusively to opinions about the protagonist and the antagonist, which, in this case, are described as the same person. When evaluating the outcomes, is Rodney’s sweetheart a positive character or not? The type of narration is correct, which is proved by quoting.

The story “Bullet in the Brain” is presented in detail, and the conflict is clear. The mention of minor characters allows the reader to better reveal the identity of the protagonist and his nature. However, whether all the bank robbers are described as antagonists or only one of them? What typical tools does the author use to describe the antagonist? The type of narration is identified correctly, although no evidence is given.

Reference

Burroway, J. (2014). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.