heidi's response to Kathleen's story

“Self-Portrait”
The story itself is appealing, and it brings in the reader, making him want to learn what’s going to happen. The dialogue and descriptions seem realistic and contribute to the development and appeal of the character. The occasional bits of humor help keep the reader interested and help create sympathy for the main character, too. The strongest element of the story is towards the end when Brian is painting the tree, i.e. himself. The symbolism is meaningful and cleverly explained, and the final line is an effective finish to the story.It seems that maybe too much time is spent at the beginning of the story, whereas it’d be better off spent towards the end with more elaboration on Brian’s artistic epiphany.