Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
This is a collection of unrelated short stories, so it would be impossible to trace a single narrative arc throughout the text. We'd love to give you an analysis of each story, but we have some bad news for you: Walker is being experimental in this work. While some of her stories follow a classic plot pattern, you'll find that more of them don't. So take a minute to observe (and enjoy!) the experimental nature of Walker's work.
Hey, at least it will give you something to discuss with your Lit peeps.