Structure
The structure of the short story “Eel” by Stefanie Seddon includes narrative techniques like the use of relatable characters, backstory, and foreshadowin…
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Beginning
The short story is told using the past tense. It begins with a presentation of the lesson Archie learned the day when he went eel fishing with his older brothers:
That was the day I learned you should never try to pull your fingers out of an eel’s mouth, not a live one or a dead one. Not if you want to have any skin left to carry him home with, and especially not if it’s a twenty-pound silver-belly. (ll. 1-3)
This is also a foreshadowing element, as it indicates that Archie will trap his hand in an eel’s mouth and injure himself.
The story is narrat…
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Middle
The middle of the short story develops the rising action as Archie spots a big eel in the water. Here, the narrator mixes a description of the scenery with a description of his impressions on the eel, with a memory of a Maori tale told by his brother Ted, and an explanation of the presence of the eel, which would be provided by Archie’s father after his fishing trip.
Archie at first reflects: “The funny thing was, if I hadn’t been given a dunking that morning, I’d never have seen him.” (ll. 36-37). This is a foreshadowing element as it suggests that something important is about to happen.
Archie then recalls how he decided to paddle downstream and climb ashore further away from his brothers. He gives a short description of the setting: “It was a rare day on the West Coast that we saw no rain, but this was one of them.” (ll. 4-42). This is also a foreshadowing element which suggests this particular day was special and memorable.
Archie is drawn, a…
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Ending
The falling action begins as Archie’s brothers help him free his arm from the eel’s mouth. Ted tends to his wounds; however, the narrator remarks that he ended up in a bad state: his clothes were wet, his arm was wounded, and his legs were scratched and bruised.
The boys then carry the eel home. Their mother examines Archie’s wounds, and their father starts skinning the eel, while the twin brothers tell the story of its capture. Archie’s adventure ends in disappointment after the twins do not mention his role in catching the eel: “I thought I’d stand a little taller when they got to my part, but they didn’t see fi…
