Setting Of Speaking In Tongues By Zz Packer

Speaking in Tongues, written by ZZ Packer, is a short story about a young girl who demonstrates extreme character change throughout the story. Tia Townsend starts out as an innocent, conservative church going girl who grows and evolves into a rebellious teen. ZZ Packer truly demonstrates through the tone and the setting the struggles and experiences Tia went through that ultimately shaped her as a character. The story begins with the protagonist, Tia, and her best friend, Marcelle, hanging out after Sunday school where they usually were watching and gossiping about the other girls. However, this Sunday was different as Tia was struggling with the message from Sunday school. The readings from her Sunday school showed how conservative Tia’s

Tia became insistent and refused to listen when her aunt Roberta advised her not to leave. The next day, Tia makes up her mind and starts her journey to Atlanta, Georgia on a Greyhound bus instead of her usual ride on a school bus. As the bus ride begins, Tia calls Marcelle to reassure her about her plan. She truly supported Tia, emotionally and monetarily throughout her adventure to find her mother. Once Tia arrives in Atlanta, Georgia, she heads for into the bus station to look for a phone book in hopes of finding her mother’s contact information. Unfortunately, none of the numbers were Tia’s mothers. She then struggled to find a place to stay, however, she did not have enough money for a hotel. She spent her first night in Atlanta out on the

ZZ Packer adds in a significant anecdote to the story. An anecdote is a short story or lesson that makes a point causing the reader to think. “Then it hit her with a sadness; if sex and birth meant being a part of someone, then death meant you belonged to no one at all.” Tia comes to this realization after her sexual encounter with Dezi. This shows how Tia struggled to feel wanted by the world and without sex or birth, no one is there for you. I think that part of her wanted to be with Dezi because he made her feel wanted, but in the wrong kind of way.

The last scene is particularly significant. Tia goes to Marie after she was with Dezi. He then comes to find here, forcing Marie to pull funds together in order for Tia to get away. This scene is compelling because in a sense two worlds are coming together. Tia, who comes from a reserved background, turns to Marie, a prostitute for help. This contradicts Tia’s first beliefs and impressions of the prostitutes as seen when she first met Dezi. Tia now has undergone a complete character change from the beginning of this story up until this