Summary

This story is written in the second-person imperative mode. It follows the story of a young woman called Francie who develops an interest in writing. At the beginning of the story, Francie has other aspirations, such as to be an astronaut, a movie star, a missionary, a kindergarten teacher, or “President of the World” (119). However, by the age of 14, she suffers “critical disillusionment” (119) regarding these aspirations. At the age of 15, she writes many haiku poems about “thwarted desire” (119). She shows these to her mother for evaluation. The narration describes her mother as “tough and practical” (119). Francie’s brother is overseas serving in the Vietnam War. Francie’s father “may be having an affair” (119). When her mother looks at the poems, she does not offer any feedback about them. The narration notes, “This is the required pain and suffering. This is only for starters” (119). In...