Notes on Literary Terms and Plot Analysis

Exposition/Introduction: This is the beginning portion of the plot graph.
Rising Action:
- Catherine is drawn into Uche's family, who do not accept her due to her perceived lack of sophistication and Uche's business engagements.
- Catherine gets pregnant and marries Uche in Switzerland.
- Catherine's life worsens after the marriage, with Uche abusing her and using her to deliver packages and collect money, involving her in drug dealings.
- Catherine is left behind after a drug incident, and Uche humiliates her by revealing she is HIV positive and organizing a living funeral for her.
Climax:
- Definition: The most intense or pivotal moment in a story where the main conflict reaches its peak.
- In this story: Catherine is finally able to escape the United States after years of suffering under her husband Uche's control.
Falling Action:
- Catherine is released from prison and deported.
- She discovers she is HIV positive.
Resolution:
- Catherine is able to flee to a safe country and save enough money to bring her children to join her.
- She is also paying for marriage to rebuild her broken dreams.

Point of View: The story is told from Catherine's perspective.
Characters: Catherine, Uche, Uche's sisters, and Uche's mother.
Setting: Bern, Switzerland, from 1996 to 2020.
Main Conflict: Catherine's struggle for love and stability versus Uche's betrayal and abandonment.

Theme: A message or purpose of the story.
- One theme of the story: Manipulation.
Characterization:
- Definition: The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
- Examples from the text:
  - Catherine's internal struggle and growth, blinded by love and Uche's manipulation.
  - Catherine believed she was safe, but her realization of Uche's betrayal shatters her dreams.
  - Catherine's character realizes she was blinded by Uche's true nature, and her dreams will never come true.