Answer:
The author sets the two characters of Billy Ansel and Mitchell Stephens side by side to show the contrasting side of human character and their approaches of life after a tragedy.
Explanation:
Billy Ansel and Mitchell Stephens are from the small town of Sam Dent in New York. An accident happened wherein a school bus drowned and in turn affects eight families of the deceased children. While Billy is also one of the victim's families, Mitchell isn't. Rather he is an attorney working on trying to sue the town authorities for the negligence and gain a lot of money from the lawsuit.
From Mitchell's narration, we came to know about his daughter's condition and addiction to drugs. In a way, he felt he had lost a daughter and in that sense, he is of the same situation with Billy. But their difference lies in that his daughter may be lost socially and be a drug addict but she isn't dead yet like the Ansel twins. And then there is also the aftermath of the incident. While Mitchell is adamant on getting action taken for the fatal incident though his own daughter or children aren't involved, Ansel isn't. It isn't that he doesn't care or isn't hurt but that he just think that whatever had happened is done and there us no way to get her daughters back and so there is no point in blaming anyone.
He had already lost his wife some years back and had been a part of the Vietnam War so he fully understands death is a part of life and he accepts the drowning as a tragedy too. But Mitchell's efforts in getting the court case is driven by his want for money, even though he doesn't suffer any loss in the drowning incident. The author sets them side by side to contrast the two and show their approaches to the incident.
