Elements of Literature Present In Checkouts by Cynthia Rylant

 

Theme: The fact that humans are cowards, we don’t accept what we actually want even if we really like it. 

Voice:  The author wrote the story based on realistic situations that humans deal with everyday, especially during teenage times. We think that quality is what makes this story unique.

 Mood: Romantic and reflective.

Tone:  Coward and ironic.

Inner conflict: The conflict is that the protagonists (A red headed girl and a "bag boy") weren't brave enough to talk to each other and always were with the hesitant thought of “what would happen if”.

 External conflict: When the red headed girl was trying to convince her parents to stay and not to move into Cincinnati.  

Man vs Man: The redheaded girl and the Bag boy vs their cowardice.

Man vs Society: The fact that the girl was forced to move to another city and had to start over her life, make new friends and get used to this new city with a different kind of routine. 

Climax:  When the Red headed girl chooses not to checkout at the bag boys' register the next time she saw the boy.

Resolution: When the girl and the boy met in the line of a movie theater with their new dates.

• Alejandra Castro, Mariana Bolaño

• & David Artuz, Step 9 Yellow.