UWP 101 WTA Moth Story and Reflection

Partners in Crime, Michelle Cloud

• parents go on vacation to Vegas, and leave their daughter at home
• they come home and everything is fine, but things are kind of off
• part of the basement is clean, which is where Cloud’s daughter entertains her friends when they come over
• Cloud goes into the basement to empty out the trash, and finds a list that her daughter wrote, of things she had moved around in the basement so that she could move them back before her parents got back
• daughter forgot to move things back
• Cloud calls her husband, alerts him that their daughter had a party and that she wants to confront her
• He says not to say anything, that she was careful and seemed pretty responsible
• Daughter says that she needs to talk to mom, that “it’s not good,” that she called to the office and got in trouble at school because she was drinking at a party at her house
• Daughter gets kicked out of the National Honors Society at her school, but appeals the decision, and for the hearing, asks her mom to come as her character witness
• Cloud goes with her, the teachers ask the mom why they believe her daughter should stay in the Honors Society
• Mom realizes that she was busted too, for going to Vegas to go to a party
• Mom tells them that what is important is that people learn from their mistakes
• Daughter still gets kicked out, but good for Mom because she was able to serve as a good example for her daughter, a good bonding experience for her and her daughter

1. Exposition: mom and dad go on vacation to Vegas, leave their high school daughter at home, she throws a party without their consent, then gets caught and has to pay the consequences
2. conflict: mom has to decide whether she wants to confront her daughter about how she knows she had a party at home while they were away
3. rising action: mom finds evidence in the trashcan in the basement
4. climax: mom decides not to say anything, and daughter eventually tells her and asks her to come with her as her character reference to school because she might get kicked out of the National Honors Society for throwing a party and drinking, mom defends her daughter at the school meeting
5. falling action: daughter gets kicked out of the National Honors Society
6. resolution: mom teaches daughter a lesson, they grow closer together and are able to bond over the experience
7. to be honest, and learn from your mistakes

I liked listening to this Moth story because it was short and funny, and I enjoyed listening to the way in which the mom decided to handle the conflict.