The key components of this introduction are:

-In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God

-All things were made through him and without him, nothing would have been made

-In him was life and that life was the light of men

-The light shines in the darkness; but the darkness has not understood it

-The world did not recognize him

Here, the characters that will also appear later in the story are introduced. The setting is also described and we are given background information. This passage would be the exposition of the story.

1) When we read something, we don't really keep in mind about the structure of the story. We simply just read the text, but we don't understand the importance of the underlying elements of a story. The beginning is the exposition, then rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The purpose of the exposition is to inform the readers about the plot, characters, setting and theme of the story. The rising action is what leads up to the climax. It builds suspense all the way up to the climactic finish. The highest point of tension is the climax. Following that is the falling action, where the after effects of the climax usually occur. Lastly, the resolution is the end of the story. At this point, the conflicts are resolved and ends with a conclusion.

2) The structure of a story is like the foundation of a building. It the foundation is weak, then the building will collapse and will only leave behind a huge mess to clean up after. If you build a strong foundation, you will have no worries of it collapsing. This goes the same for stories. If the structure of your story is weak and does not have strong components, your story will be surely shoved aside and ignored. Nonetheless, if your story is structured well and has strong elements, then it will stand out among others. The overall structure should have a smooth arc of rising action, climax and resolution. The plot should grab the reader’s interest and be strong enough the carry throughout the whole story. The readers should be able to easily identify the exposition, falling action, climate, etc. and the theme of the story.

3) "Marigolds" is an example of a "strong building." I noticed that it had smooth transitions from the exposition, to rising action, the climax, falling action and settled down well at the resolution. The plot was interesting and focused. Everything in the story was connected and led to the climax without any distractions. The characters were balanced and went along smoothly against the moving plot. The pace of the story was never too slow or fast. It did not drag or skip over parts. I was slightly confused at the beginning of who the narrator was, but I quickly caught on. The dialogue was clear and I could differentiate between who was speaking without being told.

4) I interpreted the theme as growing up follows a loss of innocence. It is shown in this story that compassion can only be understood when innocence is lost. In the beginning, the author explains that Lizabeth lives in a neighborhood full of poverty. Lizabeth is at an age where she is ready to give up her childish acts and become a young woman. However, in this time period (Great Depression), she is confused and cannot fully understand what is happening to her. At the climax of the story, she rips up Miss Lottie's marigolds, which marks her loss of innocence. She feels great compassion for Miss Lottie after realizing what she has done, as shown in the falling action. Although she shows her sincere remorse, Miss Lottie never plants marigolds again. Here, the theme is evident. It is at this moment that Lizabeth sees with the eyes of adulthood, compassion, and she knows that her childhood innocence is gone.