Question

Use the paragraphs to complete the activity.

Patrick lived in Emoryville, but every Saturday morning he rode two city buses to his uncle’s bookstore in Northview where he worked. He didn’t mind the commute because he loved his job. He loved spending time with his uncle, but he also loved going to work because he had become friends with Andrew, one of his co-workers. The boys would talk about everything from baseball scores to movies to favorite pizza toppings.

So this Saturday, when Patrick got to work, he and Andrew got to talking as they always did.

“Hey, Pat,” Andrew said casually.

“Hey,” said Patrick. “Did you have a good week?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Great week. My basketball team made it into the semifinals. The game is tonight. We’re playing Emoryville, our nemesis.”

Before Patrick could say another word, Andrew continued. “I don’t like Emoryville. I don’t think I could ever be friends with someone from that town. Our schools are such rivals.”

Patrick was speechless.

“Where are you from, Pat? I can’t believe I’ve never asked you that before!”

Patrick fumbled over his words. “Not too far from here,” he said before he quickly changed the subject to the new shipment of graphic novels.

Write a paragraph explaining the structure of the story and how the structure contributes to the meaning of the story.

The story is structured around Patrick, a young man who commutes every Saturday to work at his uncle's bookstore in Northview. Through Patrick's conversations with his co-worker Andrew, we learn about the tension between Northview and Emoryville, two rival towns, particularly when it comes to sports and schools. However, the climax of the story comes when Andrew unknowingly insults Patrick's hometown of Emoryville, causing Patrick to feel hurt and uncertain about their friendship. The structure of the story, with its focus on the Saturday morning routine and dialogue between the characters, emphasizes Patrick's sense of familiarity and comfort in his job and relationships, while also showing the potential for misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Ultimately, the structure of the story reinforces the theme of how our assumptions and biases can impact our relationships and interactions with others.