Structure

The short story “The Sentry” by Téa Obreht is structured using a traditional plot structure, foreshadowing elements and the iceberg technique. The story explores the relationship between parents and children, the main character’s fear and his development into being someone like his fath…

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Middle

The middle of the short story conveys the rising action which is marked by various tension points in the relationships between Bojan and the dog, his father, and the children in Bojan's neighbourhood.

First, tension is suggested by describing the aggressive behaviour of the dog and the displeasure it inspires: “Within its first month at their house, the dog had killed two of the neighbourhood's alley cats...” (ll. 31-32); “People complained, but always indirectly, with reluctance (...) They knew Bojan's father; they seemed to know better.” (ll. 38-40). The neighbours’ presumed knowledge functions as a foreshadowing element, as the story later suggests the father was a watchman at a prisoners’ camp. At the same time, it foreshadows the father’s violent nature, who at the end kills his own dog to teach Bojan a lesson.

In particular, the story follows Bojan’s fear of the dog and the way he envies the animal’s relationship with his father, pointing towards an inner conflict: “Around Bojan's father, the mastiff was keen but subdued, like a retired cannon in a museum.” (ll. 41-42); “It would corner him in the hallway and pin him to the wall with its big, wet face pressed against his, and smell and smell him…” (ll. 54-55)

Through various tension points, the story includes hints ab…