Laurie Berry creates character in her short fiction, Mockingbird, through image, voice, action, desire and presentation.
Image - The very first line of the story provides visual description, which suggests that Peter got sun burned in Mexico.
Voice - Rachel's comment about the people's house and their "nice things" suggest that she's observant. Peter's response indicates that that he has a greed for money. Her realization of being "in love with a man who has just traveled to a third world nation to play tennis" tells us that she is quite frivolous. When Peter looks up guiltily and asks her not to say anything, we see another aspect of his character. He hereby seems diplomatic because he turned his comment into humor without embarrassing himself.
Action - Drinking vodka in the second paragraph suggests that Peter and Rachel are laid back individuals. Since they were gossiping and spying, I got the impression that they were idle and simply passing time.
Desire - Her longing for Peter revealed her lack of self-pride because they made "love with the windows open." She desires him so much that she's unconcerned who sees.
Presentation - The second line in the introductory paragraph seems to be an example of authorial interpretation because Berry tells us that Rachel "is at that swooning stage of love." She did not have to mention this because her actions reveal that she is a giddy teenager.
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