While there, she is forced to view and analyze something inside of herself that makes her question her being along with instances that happened to her in the past and her own role in the social ecosystem. Oates uses the device in medias res by beginning at a critical moment in her character's life, moving it forward to build relationships with other parts of the story and then uses flashback of earlier events to supply the exposition of the plot (Britannica 2002).
Oates moves the story through her character's struggle of her medical emergency and has her pondering her life and the possibility of dying alone in a hospital. Other thoughts of what could be construed as miscellaneous fears begin to trickle into Grace's mind. Such as the idea that what would happen if perhaps the night nurse withheld her painkiller (Oates 659). Being such a detailed image created of her character's mind, Oates gently prepares the reader of a possibility of something happening later in connection with Grace's fears. Grace's sister even tells her of alarming tales of neglect or even hostile nurses (Oates 659). Even as the characters are finally introduced to one another Grace lays trapped in bed with Harriet the night nurse speaking in her flat, nasal, ironic voice Grace Burkhardt, Grace Burkhardt, Grace Burkhardt (Oates 660-61). The author even uses foreshadowing through Grace's thoughts of Harriet in this moment; She's mad, she's come to injure me (Oates 661) .
By connecting both the plot devices of exposition and suspense, Oates incorporates the flashback technique. In taking Grace back 26 years to the fourth floor of Ailey Hall on the campus of her college, with just the mention of the nurse's voice reciting Zink, Harriet Zink (Oates 662). Recalling her ex-roommates features, the prominent front teeth and blush of her skin (Oates 661) brings about the narrative device of exposition within the flashback.
