Answer:
The narrator uses different tenses, such as past, present, and future. The narrator focuses on the present to move the plot along while drawing the reader into the story. The young man/main character in the story has all these thoughts built up, which are described to us in many ways. We learn more about this young man when the narrator speaks about him in the third person, and switches from present tense to past tense to tell us more about him. Using past tense is a good way to learn more about somebody. Sometimes, a single person has an interesting past behind them, maybe a tragic back story that describes why they've become the way they are (if they're the antagonist). A lot of villains have tragic backstories. And even if a character is still a child as "currently" described, every character has their own description. And when the narration changes back to the present tense, we actually experience Sylvia's emotions through the voice of the narrator. There isn't much future tense used in this short story, but past and present are commonly used. Using these techniques, the reader becomes engaged and involved, and the plot moves along quickly.
- Abbey G.
