Storytelling techniques and narrative structure

¶ … Father's Dreams: Jasmine's Story

This is a story about a little girl named Jasmine, which is related by none other than Jasmine herself. Jasmine relates her own story of triumph at a sport she did not really care to participate in but did to please her father who had big dreams for her to develop skills in this particular sport.

My Father's Dreams

My father always dreamed that I would be able to ski really well. I do not care for skiing at all but since my father wanted me to learn so badly I decided that I would put forth all my effort to attempt to learn since it meant so much to my father. While I am a good skier, the really difficult part to skiing in my opinion is waking up so very early on such cold mornings and having to get dressed and go out into the cold. My bed is so warm and cozy in the cold mornings and I would much prefer to lie in the bed under the pile of covers instead of getting up and feeling my feet on the cold floor.

The Day Begins

Even though my father always fixes warm bowl of oatmeal and a large cup of hot chocolate for breakfast to get my day started, the feel of the cold air when I open my door to head out just makes me want to run and jump back into the bed and pull the covers over my head. However, once I do get out and moving, the cold air is exhilarating and makes me feel very alive just as my father's dreams for me to be a skilled skier are very much alive.

III. The Slopes

When my father and I arrived at the slopes this morning, there were many kids my age already skiing. I am ten years old and met many children my age who just love to ski. They said that they do not even mind the cold mornings although some of them admitted that getting out of their warm bed was a challenge. The children my age informed me that there was to be a race next week but I did not tell my father about this but instead just worked on the slopes. I went ahead and registered for the race. I spent a great deal of time skiing the second slope, which was the slope on which the race I had entered would take place.

IV. Preparing for the Race

The second slope was a little difficult for a child my age but I knew that if I could win the race that was to take place the following week that my father would be thrilled. Just as any little girl, to please my father was my highest and most sought after accomplishment. I skied the second slope repeatedly preparing for the race. Why, I even was skiing that slope in my sleep for many nights prior to the race. I was a strong and skilled skier but many children had been skiing not only longer than had I been skiing but they also had been skiing with more frequency so they were therefore much more practiced than was I. I knew that I would have to work very hard if I were going to win the race to please my father and fulfill his dreams for me as a skier.

V. The Race is Revealed

The night before the race, I told my father that tomorrow was a very special day. I informed my father that I had entered a race on the second slopes and that it was that particular race for which I had been practicing for the past week. My father was very excited and while I went to bed early, I could hear him talking to my mother very late into the night about how proud he would be if I could only win that race on the second slopes in the morning. I knew that I just had to win the race for my father!

VI. The Day of the Race

I awoke the morning of the race with my stomach full of butterflies. I was so nervous that I could barely eat the oatmeal or drink the hot chocolate my father had prepared for my breakfast. When we reached the slopes there must have been 30 other kids there waiting for the race and some of them were children I had never even seen before. All of the children lined up at the top of the second slope for the race. I was very nervous but confident that I had a good chance to win this race. The signal to begin went out and the race started. I was off to a great start leading ahead of all of the children when suddenly two children passed me gaining a great deal of ground about half way down the slope. I realized that I was probably not going to win when suddenly, the two children ahead of me bumped into one another and their skis became tangled and down into the snow they went! There were children close behind me but only inches and I knew this because I could hear their skis in the snow but I did not look back but instead pressed onward. As the finish line came into view, I could see my father jumping up and down shouting for me and I knew that I just had to win this race.