------------------------------------------------- Tickits by Paul Milenski
The type of narrator in the story is telling us everything about the character who meets people, and the things the character sees. Besides that, the narrator describes the character, who we follow in the story and we get to know what the character is doing. Example from the text: “Toby Heckler placed the slip of yellow paper under the windshield wiper of the black Oldsmobile that straddled two parking spaces.” We get a point of view from the narrator, where we get to know what Toby is doing, from the narrator’s perspective.
The direct information we get about the characters from the narrator: “Near the First National Bank two elderly ladies waited for the bus. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk away from the curb. Toby pulled out his pad, slipped the pen off his ear, held the cap with his teeth. He printed slowly, meticulously, then handed one of the ladies the slip, “TO MUSH IN WAY” signed “TOBY.” He secured his instruments, walked along as before. The two ladies examined the slip of paper, moved closer to the curb.” The way the narrator describes the way Toby contacted the ladies without saying a word with his mouth, it tells us that Toby is probably handicap.
The indirect information we get from the narrator’s description of setting, Toby’s notes and from dialogue: “On the yellow paper Toby had printed in red ink “PRAKING MISTEAK” and signed his name “TOBY” in a childish-looking hand.” “How’s it going, Toby?” McVee said. Toby pulled out his pad, showed it to McVee. “Lots of business, eh, Toby?” Toby put his pad back, nodded. His eyes rolled, looked tortured. “Yes, Toby, it’s a bitch,” McVee said. Toby looked at McVee’s shoes. Except for a single smudge, they were shiny, black. Toby bent down, rubbed off the smudge with his hand. “Thanks, Toby,” McVee said. Toby caught McVee’s eye, looked down at his own sneakers. “Very nice, Toby. Spiffy,” McVee said. Toby raised his chin again, moved along.” These sentences show us that Toby is handicap and by using his yellow paper, which is the only way for him to communicate with people, like McVee who he meets.