The Flash & the Passenger Short Story Questions

1. What is the importance in the story of the trolley car, the platform, and the title? Support your interpretations.

The importance in the story of the trolley car, the platform and the title is the analogy to the narrator waiting to join or find his place in life (the trolley) as he waits on the platform (noncommittal) and finally the title expresses not only who the narrator is but how we are all passengers on the world's platform, where some are riding and some still waiting. These symbols are a reflection of the narrator's insecurities and his questioning of his existence. This symbolism is obvious in the narrator’s first sentence of the story when he says, ‘...and am completely insecure about my footing in this world, in this city, in my family.”.

2. Why does the young woman “keep her mouth shut and [say] nothing along those lines”?

The woman “keep[s] her mouth shut and say[s] nothing along those lines” because the author thinks that she is not analyzing the world as he is. He thinks that she is going about her everyday life with little thought, but the narrator does not know whether she is deep in thought as he is or whether she is just oblivious to what he is questioning.

3. How does the author create a contrast between himself and the girl? What is the purpose of this contrast?

The author only describes himself as being on a platform and we are not privy to any detail but his thoughts whereas the narrator describes the girl in great detail, her clothes, her umbrella, her body and even how the shadow falls from her ear. The purpose of this contrast is to delicately describe her beauty and bring her to life and distinguishes her from all the other insignificant parts of society.

4. Assess the effectiveness of the author’s choice of first-person