The inclusion of the flashback serves to show that Stanley is innocent. The narrative depicts the circumstances leading to Stanley's arrest and emphasizes his accidental involvement with the sneakers that fell from the sky. By presenting this backstory, the writer highlights that Stanley did not steal the shoes, as he was simply an unwitting participant in an unusual event. This context helps to elicit sympathy for Stanley and underscores the theme of misunderstanding and misfortune.
On the day Stanley was arrested, Derrick had taken Stanley’s notebook and, after a long game of come-and-get-it, finally dropped it in the toilet in the boys’ restroom. By the time Stanley retrieved it, he had missed his bus and had to walk home.
It was while he was walking home, carrying his wet notebook, with the prospect of having to copy the ruined pages, that the sneakers fell from the sky.
“I was walking home and the sneakers fell from the sky,” he had told the judge. “One hit me on the head.”
It had hurt, too.
Why does the writer include this flashback in the narrative?
to show that Stanley steals the shoes
to show that Stanley deserves to be arrested
to show that Stanley is innocent
to show that Stanley really needs the shoes
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