Structure
The story “On the Beach” by Bret Easton Ellis follows a flashback structure. Present events are combined with the narrator’s flashbacks which help convey the backstory of the plot. The plot is simple and focuses on a single main event in the narrator’s life: finding out that his girlfriend is dying and spending time with her, conflicted about the situation he is…
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Beginning
The short story begins in media res (in the middle of events) with a dialogue line by the narrator’s girlfriend, which hooks the readers’ attention: “ ‘Imagine a blind person dreaming,’ she says.” (l. 1).
The exposition introduces readers to the beach…
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Middle
The middle of the story narrates the events of the afternoon, mixed with the narrator’s flashbacks about previous events related to his girlfriend.
The rising action focuses on the narrator’s thoughts about his girlfriend and the fact that she is dying, suggesting an inner conflict: “We have been on the beach every day for the last three weeks now. It's all she wants to do. Lie on the beach, in the sun…” (ll. 44-45)
The narrator is bothered by the fact that his girlfriend looks worse and worse, that she is no longer attractive because of her disease: “ ‘She used to be totally…
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Ending
In the falling action, the narrator reflects on death as he heads towards his girlfriend who is still on the beach: “I know what the word gone means. I know what the word dead means. You deal with it, …
