TIME

This page contains the analysis of the time element found in the hypertext, The Heist.  We have chosen to present our analysis here in the form of a timeline.  The actual heist takes place in the early morning of May 5, 1995.  The events of this day are described by the author and are therefore provided here in detail.  Before this date the author provides us with background information on the town, characters, and the planning of the heist, which spans over the period of many years. The author uses time to provide background information on everything from characters to the town and bank.  The history provided by the author dates from 1907 when the bank was founded up until two days before the heist. The in-depth detail that the author provides, allows you to go into the action of the story with enough information to connect all pieces of the day.  Time plays a key role in the countless instances of  irony in this story and truly allows you to appreciate the outcome of  the characters and the story as a whole.

  - 1907- Farmers Community Bank is founded in Buford, South Carolina.  The founders of the bank were Jacob Morris, a young banker from Charleston, and an old cotton planter named D. Royal Kenwood.

- 1913- Kenwood dies.  Morris buys Kenwood´s interests in the bank with cash and notes.  Morris later marries and has one daughter Dahlia.  Dahlia marries Roland McKenry who begins to work at the bank.

- 1952- Morris dies leaving the bank to McKenry.

- 1957- McKenry´s only son at the time accidently shoots himself with a neighbor´s gun.  Dahlia becomes pregnant with another child.

- 1958- Roland Jr. is born.  Dahlia dies giving birth to her son.

- 1979- Roland Jr. graduates from Clemson, bums around Europe, and later joins his father´s bank as a teller.

- Mid 1980´s- Due to McKenry´s careful work, the bank expands and is doing well, with well over 30 million dollars in assets.

- October 1995-  Planning of the heist begins.  Teddy and Mo begin to plan the robbery while serving their sentences at CCI--Columbia Correctional Institute.

- March 1995-  Teddy and Mo are released from prison on parole and put all plans for the heist into action.

- March 23, 1995-  State-of-the-art alarm system is installed into Farmers Community Bank.  This is ironic because the robbers specifcally chose this bank because it was not supposed to have a security system.  The existence of the system was unexpected and was the chief component in the unravelling of the plan to rob the bank.

- April 1995-  Teddy buys a vehicle that he intends to use in the heist.  This vehicle is later traced back to him by the Buford chief of police, Raymondo Loy.  When Chief Loy traces the vehicle, he discovers Teddy's lengthy criminal record.  This information eventually leads to complications in the heist.  Teddy's background makes Chief Loy suspicious and he is therefore on alert when he is called to the scene of a house fire on the morning of the heist.  He is then able to connect the house fire as a diversion caused by Teddy to rob the bank.

-May 5, 1995-
    -  8:40 A.M.-  Diversion created by the robbers.  The four robbers set fire to a model home in Spring Lake Plantation.  The fire is meant to divert the attention of the police and keep them busy  while the heist is executed.  This is ironic in that Chief Loy is able to connect the information he found about Teddy Clapp with the bank robbery because of the fire.

    - 8:47 A.M.-  Chief Loy receives a mysterious call reporting the house fire at Spring Lake Plantation that he later connects to the bank robbery.

    - 9:00 A.M.-  Farmers Community Bank opens for business that day.  This is one of the busiest banking days because it is a triple-witching day.

    -9:05 A.M.-  Ed Lampier, Teddy Clapp, Mo Rosen, and "Bug" arrive at the bank and proceed with their plan to rob it.  So far, everything is going according to their plan.  What they do not know is that Chief Loy is about to figure them out and foil their plans.

    -9:07 A.M.-  Chief Loy has talked to everyone at the scene of the fire.  After speaking to the fire chief he realizes that the fire is a diversion and that the bank is being robbed.

    -9:33 A.M.-  Ed Lampier shoots one of the bank tellers.  At this point the robbers have figured out that there is a time lock on the safe.  They have been waiting for the safe to open at 9:50 A.M.  Bug, the getaway driver has abandoned them and they are discussing theyre options.

    -9:40 A.M.-  Seven minutes left until the safe opens.  Ed tried to getaway and got killed leaving the bank by the cops.  Mo and Teddy are inside the bank trying to come up with a plan.

    -9:47 A.M.-  The vault is ready to be opened.  Mo and Teddy take the money.

After this the author no longer provides specific time references.  Throughout the story Sorrells uses time as an important factor of telling the story.  Dates and times are used to give us references and background on the details of the characters and town.  Time along with Space are the two most important factors of the hypertext.
 
 
 
 

Academic year 2002
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Erica Serna y Maria Alvarez
Universitat de València Press
eser@alumni.uv.es; maeal@alumni.uv.es