It's Structure That Matters

The structure of a story is the main key which provides a better understanding and insight analysis to the reader. The elements of structure are time, setting, and character. Each individual element shapes the world of a story, and outlines the values or information which the writer is trying to the readers. In the articlesЎЁBoysЎЁand ÐŽ§OrientationЎЁ we can see totally different structures. By comparing these two stories, the two writers present their stories in totally different ways. The ÐŽ§BoysЎЁ is narrated in a chronology linear to give readers the process of growing up, and the ÐŽ§OrientationЎЁ is using traditional structure with humor factor to reflect the office life.

In his storyЎЁBoys,ЎЁ Rick Moody narrates the process of growing up of boys. The author mentions every single outcome that most of the boys are likely to encounter in their lives. Boys grow up by experiencing some major incidents. In this case, the writer uses the death of their father as an example of that major incident. In another storyЎЁOrientation,ЎЁ Daniel Orozco describes the scenario in the office. Orozco brings out the typical office affairs to reflect social structure and human relationship.

In ÐŽ§Boys,ЎЁ the writer condenses the boysÐŽ¦ life into one paragraph. Even though it is a story with thirty-year time frame, the narrative way ÐŽ§one paragraphЎЁ makes every single account similar. As if readers are looking at the world from a high place. Moody uses repetition,ЎЁ Boys enter the houseЎЁ in every sentence, makes a connection on every single account in boysÐŽ¦ life. It indicates that every outcome that happens before the turning point is relatively immature. This particular style, repetition, emphasizes the symbolism of the growing process and maturity. The story is based on a thirty-year time frame; from infancy to adulthood. It consists a chronology linear of thirty-year which indicates the amount of the time that boys need to transform to men. The writer condenses the whole story into a paragraph with one incident followed by the other which reflects the pace of time as they age.

In ÐŽ§Orientation,ЎЁ Orozco uses a strictly experimental description on the setting of the office scenario. The story is not in sequence. It is a non-chronological structure. There is no time frame but just plain description on people and environment. The writer uses humor and exaggerates elements to make the description more interesting and lively. For example, he describes a weirdo in the office ÐŽ§Kevin Howard sits in that cubicle over there. He is a serial killer, the one they call the Carpet Cutter, responsible for the mutilations across town.ЎЁ(Orozco, 5-6) He gives much detail description on the characteristic of each person in the office, in the way that shows the realistic office life. It is a symbolic of reality that the whole story is like an orientation to a new comer in the office. That is the reason why the author chooses to present the story in second person point of view.

By comparing these two stories, there are many different in their structure. In ÐŽ§Boys,ЎЁ Moody uses chronological structure to go through boysÐŽ¦ lives. The reason why Orozco didnÐŽ¦t choose to use chronological structure is because the ÐŽ§OrientationЎЁ is not a narration but more like a conversation. Since it is a conversation basis story with straight description on the characteristics, the ÐŽ§OrientationЎЁ is considered as naturalism.