How+is+the+literary+technique+of+flashback+used+in+Antojos?+Why+is+this+more+effective+than+if+the+author+had+made+the+incident+described+part+of+the+normal+plot+structure?

A **flashback** is a scene in the which the author take the story back in time from the current scene. Flashbacks are used to show the readers the history of a place or character, so we get to know them better and learn about their earlier life. In __Antojos__, Yolanda remembers back to her childhood when she was a young Dominican girl, eating guavas and living a much different life than she is in the current time. We also learn of her past trip to the Dominican Republic seven years ago and the history of her obsession with guavas. Yolanda also has a flashback of her English lessons when she is with the two men. She remembers something her teacher told her which stuck in her mind; "language is power." This thought gives Yolanda strength and she is able to use her language as her best defense against the men.

The flashback technique is effective in this story because it is an easy way to let the readers know of Yolanda's heritage and history. If the story had started when she was a young girl it would have been alot longer and there would have had to be alot more detail. It would have been awkward if the story jumped ahead many years to when she was alot older and living in the United States.