Structure

The short story “The Strong Man” by George Garrett is structured around the conflict between a couple who is discussing potential divorce because of the man’s cheating. This conflict mainly follows the female character, who is in the position of making a difficult choice, given that she is pregnant. This conflict is symbolically entwined with the street performance of a strong man who lifts heavy weights and breaks free of ropes and chains.

When you look at the way short stories are organized, an important analytical element you should take into consideration is the plot line which refers to the sequence of moments making up the story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. In what follows, we will outline the way “The Strong Man” is structured and how the plot develops in the narrative.

Middle

The middle of the short story comprises the rising action and the climax. It is in this part of the narrative that we realize what the plot is all about. Harry and the woman are a married couple, discussing divorce because of the man’s cheating: “What would you do when you got there—get a divorce?” (p. 45, ll. 2-3)

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Ending

The story lacks a clear resolution, being mostly comprised of the falling action. After the strong man frees himself, the wife realizes that her husband will never understand her decision, and then they go back to their hotel:

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Also, here we discuss the title and beginning of the short story.