Child Obsoletes Play Analysis

The first short story under analysis is titled Childʼs Play. The story is told by a first person narrator, which is at the same time the protagonist, Marlene. Through a series of flashbacks, she recalls and reflects upon one of her childhood memories, that seems to have been unconsciously hiding a secret; the terrible crime committed at a summer camp.
The story begins with some assumptions of the narrator about what had happened after the incident in the camp. However, the readers are not informed about it until the end. Then, there is a time jump to the past and the narrator starts telling the camp experience. Around the age of nine or ten years old, Marlene was sent to a summer camp where she met one her friends, Charlene. After sharing some details about themselves, Marlene told Charlene about her aversion to a special needs girl named Verna. Then, there is another flashback and the readers are told about the circumstances under which Marlene and Verna
met.
After that, the narrator returns to the camp experience.
In the last week of camp, Verna showed up together with a group of “special kids” to enjoy the final weekend of the camp with the other clindren. Marleneʼs aversion was instantly shared by Charlene after encountering Verna. Then, they both worked together to avoid Verna during the meals, playtime, and so on. However, the very last day of camp, during a swim in the beach, they noticed that Verna was approaching them in the water.
Then, there is another timeshifting. After the camp, Marlene did not keep in touch with Charlene. Some year later, she saw Charleneʼs wedding pictures in a newspaper and discovered that they both had been going to college in the same city but they had never seen each other. About fifteen years after that happening, Marlene received a letter from Charlene, congratulating her about the book she had published. Marlene decided to ignore the letter and not to answer. Some other details about Marleneʼs life are revealed during this
part.
After that, there is a shift to the present time. Marlene narrates that she has received another letter, this time, from Charleneʼs husband. He tells her that Charlene is very ill in the hospital and asks Marlene to visit her. After reflecting, Marlene ends up going to the hospital. There, she finds that Charlene is unconscious due to sedation but she has previously requested a nurse to give Marlene a letter. In the letter, Charlene asks Marlene to go to a Christian church and talk to a priest. Marlene obeys Charleneʼs wish and goes to the church. However, she could not talk to the priest because he is on a vacation. Finally, when Marlene is about to leave. She reflects in her car about the incident that took place at the end of the summer camp; Charlene and she, instantly and without planning, took advantage of a wave to drown Verna in the sea.