Posted by Heidy Chong on June 06, 1999 at 14:05:44:
Writing Prompt #18
Michelle's story is framed because is part of the narrator's memories. It is rather special because nobody knows the story but him, so it comes back to him as he begins to write any story. It is one of those special memories that we have in our childhood that we will never forget. I think it also comes back to the writer because just like Michelle might be wandering lost in the dark, the narrator is lost in his writing. He could have also told the story that way because it was a confession of other people's lives, not his. So he has no further details but the ones given to him. He won't tell anybody. It was like an interview in getting to know Michelle in a way that they needed each other, but not getting to know each other completely. The narrator encapsulated his perception with the story; the clues, images, actions of seeing and not seeing, understanding and not understanding; he explained as much as he could limited by what Michelle confided him.