Today's lesson addressed the relationship between plot structure and narrative distance. As these are somewhat abstract literary concepts, on the board , I first outlined the types of plot structure and then demonstrated how the structure-flashback, chronological etc,- reflected the narrator's physical and chronological distance from the events in the narrative. We further noted how the narrator's role as a character in the novel, if applicable , impacted the narrative distance and tone. We then applied these concepts to "The Great Gatsby," and the short story "The Untold Lie". As Joshua encountered difficulty in the homework assignment related to how symbolic settings can convey character in Gatsby, I also provided instruction highlighting the critical symbols .We then discussed which characters are best reflected in those symbols i.e. Tom's moral decadence as represented by the Valley of Ashes.