Structure

The short story “Dusk Over Atlantic Wharf” by Susmita Bhattacharya begins in medias res with Lata asking Anuj to do something exciting together (l.1).

There are frequent flashbacks in the story as Lata remembers past events, colored by nostalgia for her home town and the people she left behind (ll. 14-17; ll. 25-27; ll. 50-51; ll. 73-78; ll. 87-91). It is worth noting that in her flashbacks, happy, neutral, and negative memories are mixed, with all of them being seen in a positive, nostalgic light. This highlights the fact that Lata misses her hometown so much, that even bad experiences are seen as good.

Lata experiences an internal conflict, related to her wish to adjust to her new environment (ll. 84-87) and her awkwardness at feeling out of p...