Summer Reading Reader's Journal - Genre of my Choice (Fiction)

#3                                      Reader's Journal                                    6/25/11

Dear Mrs. Zrihen,
          Today I finished reading a short story called No Time Left by David Baldacci. Before this, I don't recall ever reading a short story. I finished it very quickly and enjoyed reading it.
          While reading I used many different strategies. Before I started reading I set a purpose. My purpose for reading was for my reader's journal and to see if I enjoyed reading short stories. I also questioned and wondered. I asked "what will this story be about?" and I wondered how long it will take me to finish it. While reading I came across a passage that really got me thinking about what the resolution would be.

     "He headed toward a stand and bought a newspaper. When he handed the man a dollar, he received ninety cents back. Becker stared down at the coins in the palm of his hand. For some reason the coins looked odd, but Becker thrust them in his pocket and forgot them when he saw the startling headline. North Korea had just invaded South Korea. As he read further, his skin grew paler and there was a pronounced tic in a blood vessel on the left side of his temple. President Harry S. Truman denounced this unwarranted invasion and pledged support to the South Korean government. Becker shot a glance at the date. '1950?'"

         After reading this I already knew the ending. Becker is a hit-man and has just been paid to go on his next mission. It is March 5th, 2000 and Becker is turning 50 soon. His mission is to kill a woman; he doesn't know why though. I was able to predict the ending by knowing this. Also while reading, I reread that passage to confirm my prediction. After reading I thought about the literary elements and confirmed all my predictions. The prediction I had made while reading was correct!
          The genre of this story is short story because it is much shorter than a novel and I was able to read it in one sitting. It focused on one main character and one main plot. The main character is Frank Becker. Since he was a hit-man I believe he is an antagonist. Another antagonist is Herb Wells, a man who gives Becker a mysterious mission. There are no protagonists; however, some foil characters are the woman Becker killed and the man Becker killed. The story takes place in a city in 2000 and then in a small village in 1950. The weather condition is not stated but Becker did carry an umbrella in the beginning of the book, not opened, so I believe it was sunny. The social condition is that Becker is a professional killer on his way to his next mission. The point of view is third person limited. The pattern of organization is climatic order. The author's purpose is to entertain and the author's perspective is not biased, objective. The conflict was man vs. man. The tone was mysterious and the mood was curious. I think the theme of this story was don't trust anyone and I believe that was also the moral. I was only able to find one type of figurative language in this story. "After he started wearing the blues..." is an idiom meaning after he stared becoming sad and depressed.
          The exposition is when Becker is introduced and is on a mission to kill a man. You learn that he ran away from home but the author doesn't say why. It is also learned that Becker's mother died during childbirth and that Becker never met her. The rising action is after he is done with that mission and gets a call that he is wanted for another mission. He goes to the mans house who he must do the job for. The climax is when he meets the man he is doing the job for. The man tells him he will get all the details for his mission in the mail and nothing else. This makes Becker suspicious however he agrees to complete the mission. The man wants to shake on it and since Becker is wearing gloves he asks him to take them off. He takes his glove off, revealing his one stubby finger he inherited from his mother, the one thing he knows about her. He gets the letter with all the details and goes on a train to complete his mission. When he walks off he notices that the time is 1950. The falling action is when Becker walks through the little village he is in to the house the woman he was assigned to kill lived in. The resolution is when Becker finds the woman and sticks his six inch blade into he neck. Her hands drop, revealing her one stubby finger. The woman was pregnant; Becker vanishes.
          I really liked reading this book. I finished it in twenty minutes and enjoyed finishing it. The beginning was a little confusing but as I kept reading everything made sense. I loved the ending even though I was able to predict it easily. I give this short story a ten out of ten stars and recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a quick and easy mysterious short story!
                                                                                       Sincerely,
                                                                                     Bailey Levy