Diagnostic Essay

Diagnostic Essay The main features that need to be present for a story to be satisfying to me are; a main character, a key emotional event, detailed descriptive language and resolution. In my view, these features are indispensible to a good story because they create interest, curiosity, a clear image of events, and a feeling of satisfaction when the events in the story come to a final conclusion. A main character is essential because without one there can be no story. In “Royal Beatings” (Munro 1125), I identified the main character as Rose, because more than any other character, I learnt most about her from the beginning to the end of the story. A significant emotional event involving the main character is a feature important to me, and in “Royal Beatings” (Munro 1135), this event is the beating Rose receives from her father. The main event in a story is essential because it feeds any curiosity created within me from the beginning of the story. In “Royal Beatings,” I developed a sense of the impending event and my attention was captured as anticipation followed regarding what would happen. The use of descriptive language is an important characteristic of a successful story. For me, the descriptive language is the glue that holds the story together; the more detailed the language the more satisfying the story. When a story contains detail it allows me to visualize the setting and characters clearly. Details that stimulate all of my senses create opportunity for me to relate not only to the main character but also to the events taking place in the story. In “Royal Beatings” (Munro 1126), I am able to imagine more clearly the perspective of Rose from reading the details of how her mother died when she was still a baby. I can empathize with Rose because I learn from the details of her home situation that, “There was a long truce between Flo and Rose in the beginning” (Munro 1128). Detailed descriptive language helps to transform the characters into realistic beings that I can relate to. Details can build characters into unique, intriguing, eccentric, or evil individuals and when this happens it becomes engaging and stimulates further curiosity. In “Royal Beatings” (Munro 1128), the author reveals that, “Rose’s nature was growing like a prickly pineapple.” It is human nature to be drawn by curiosity and interest to that which is not ordinary. Finally, a satisfying story should have some form of resolution that ties together any uncertain aspects. Some stories such as “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Gilman 608), do not come to any resolution . This is frustrating for me because I am left with unanswered questions in my mind. Other readers, however, may find this satisfying because they can imagine or anticipate their own conclusions. In summary, I believe a satisfying story is one that engages the interest of the reader. This is achieved through detailed descriptions of the main character, the key event and resolution of the key event.

Works Cited
Gilman, C.P., “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. 7th Ed. Richard.
Munro, A., “Royal Blessings.” The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. 7th Ed. Richard.