Borders by Thomas King: Plot Graph Explained - Essay Sample

Introduction

The plot of the short story Borders by Thomas King has been divided from the start of the story to the end. Let us check the plot graph content of the story: we have the exposition, inciting incident, rising action, which are three, climax, falling action, and the resolution. At the exposition, it involves the son, who is the narrator, the mother, Laetitia, Mel, the border guards, and the press.

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The mother and the son at first were denied entry into the US by the guards because they have refused to reveal their identity. The mother insists she is a Blackfoot and not neither American nor Canadian. The inciting incident at this point what triggered the conflict is when Laetitia decides to move to Salt Lake City, the first rising action is when Laetitia, the mother, and the son are on their way sending Laetitia to Salt Lake City. They decide to stops at Coutts to get some refreshments.

The second rising action is when the mother and the son decide abruptly to visit Laetitia at Salt Lake City. The mother bought new tires for the car, and they both wor3e the traditional native clothing.

The third rising incident when they are finally allowed to pass the Canadian borders after several attempts to cross the borders when they are asked to reveal their identity, and the son and the mother insist they are Blackfoot even if they are told to identify their citizenship between the American and the Canadian. The climax of the story when the mother and the sin are asked to return from where they have arrived, and they have to cross the border again to Canada.

The falling action of the story is when the mother and the son spend two days at the borders and share stories with the son in their car. The resolution of the story is when several reporters come to the border and ask her several questions, including how they felt to be an Indian without a country, a man comes and speaks to them at noon. They return to their car and cross the borders of America.

Flashback is a part of the story that describes what had happened in the past. The boy recalls back when one night he was watching the television with the sister, and she tells him that she would go to Salt Lake City, the sister was angry with him when he said their mother of that. The recall how the sister had started to think about going to Salt Lake City to start her own life at the place.

The son who is the narrator in the story, throughout the story, he is much bothersome and eager to see his sister again. He is observant of the conflicts in the story. He is logical and rationale in his narration, and lastly, he tries to resolve the problems without pushing them to his mother. The mother is very loyal and a proud woman who loves her origin; at the border, she insists she is a Blackfoot.

She has a close-minded opinion on things that do not relate to her background, and lastly, the mother is a dedicated woman and always true to who she is in the whole story. Laetitia is an independent lady; she decides to move to Salt Lake City to start her own life. She is a hardworking lady; she works hard to make both ends meet for her, and lastly, Laetitia loves even when she is away from the family, but she still remembers family members most of the time.

There is a conflict “borders” is an identity, which is a man vs. man conflict; the conflict is brought by Laetitia’s mother. She has refused to identify herself as an American or a Canadian to the guards, and every time she is asked about her citizenship, she keeps on saying she is a Blackfoot. She is proud of her origin, and she wants to be identified with her background she later cooperates with the guards and allowed to pass the borders. I agree with the resolution to the conflict because both the parties agree, and everything is settled.

Laetitia’s mother is a proud woman of her origin, and she wants to be identified by her people and not an American or a Canadian. By insisting on being recognized as a Blackfoot, she shows the strong bond she has with her people regardless of the situation, and she is just following her heart and not being stubborn.

The mother has been inspirational to the family members; her daughter watching her on television, insisting to her a Blackfoot admires her most and changes her mind also to be a Blackfoot. The son respects her and cares for her mother; he tries to solve all the conflict without pushing them to her mother.

Works Cited

King, Thomas. "Borders." World Literature Today 66.2 (1992): 269-273.