Chapter 1 Question 3

When Gene enters the First Academy Building, the main thing he notices are the stairs. He notices that the marble is very hard, since the worn-out parts where people walk are not very deep. He also notices, based on himself in relation to these stairs, that he is older and taller then when he last saw them-- an obvious fact, but it adds to the feeling of memory that is present through this whole chapter. This is probably why John Knowles included it. After he visits the stairs, Gene goes outside to see the tree. He has some trouble finding it due to the fact that he remembers it as a lonely, monumental, easily seen object when in fact it is a part of a group of trees. This is interesting because it indicates that the tree played some important role in a major event, since places or objects that we associate with a traumatic or overly emotional memory tend to stand out as singular and unique even if in reality they are not. Knowles uses the tree to introduce a flashback and begins the book that way. These two places serve as an introduction into the whole book rather then just launching into the story without giving any background. It also hooks the reader and provides enough information about the setting that the author can begin the story without having to explain too much.