Exposition. Typically, exposition in a literary work is the part of a plot that introduces the setting and the major characters. However, exposition can also convey background information that gives the reader a more complete understanding of a piece of writing. As you read, identify examples of exposition in the selection. How is exposition used in this selection?

Note: Footnotes in this selection appear as end notes on page 218.

• The following selection is taken from a book titled If You Could Be My Friend, a collection of letters exchanged between Mervet, a young Palestinian girl living in a refugee camp in Israel, and Galit, a young Jewish girl living in Jerusalem. The letters in the book were written between August 1988 and March 1991. The italicized text alongside the letters was written by the author to include the historical context of the girls’ correspondence.
• World History Connection. During the twentieth century, the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians has been one of intense conflict over territory in the Middle East that each considers their homeland. The Jews call this place “the land of Israel.” The Arabs call it Palestine. More than 2,000 years ago, Roman forces captured Israel, and Jews living there fled. From that time on, exiled Jews and their descendants were united by their pledge to someday return to Israel. In 1948, the United Nations declared the creation of the state of Israel, which sparked a war between the newly created state and Arabs whose ancestors had been living in Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon for centuries. Israel won the war and gained its independence, but hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced from their houses and their land. At the end of that war, approximately 600,000 Palestinians were living in refugee camps—and many still live in them today. Continuing warfare and violence on both sides has further complicated the situation and the debate over territory in the region. In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace accord.
• In 1988, the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Yassir Arafat, read a Declaration of Independence for the state of Palestine and proposed a plan to divide Palestine. He declared an end to terrorism and said he wanted to begin peace negotiations to find a way for Israel and Palestine to coexist. The Israeli government responded by formally recognizing the PLO as the representative of Palestinians in Israel and agreed to open peace talks. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1994 to Arafat and to Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres for their work toward a peace agreement. Today the violence has not ended, but the hope for and efforts toward finding a peaceful resolution are strong and ongoing.

Recall a dispute you’ve had with a friend or family member. What was the disagreement about? How did you resolve it?