Plot

The plot in “Okeechobee” by Claudia Zuluaga is very simple. A family goes to visit a friend of the husband. The visit reveals the deep conflicts and tensions between the husband and the wife, seen through one of the daughter’s eyes. Specifically, here is how the elements of the plot unfold in the story:

Exposition. In a single phrase, we are introduced to the characters and the action that is about to be narrated. What might hook the reader is the fact that the story is told from the point of view of a child: “We are on our way to visit Dad’s old friend from the army.” (l. 1)

Rising action. The family drives to the trailer park where Bingo and Louise live, the men fish and the women engage in small talk. Notice that these outer events are only important for the inner tensions they show, between the mother and the father, Dorabelle and Eddie. Furthermore, these tensions also affect the narrator and her sister: “My sister isn’t talking to me. Not one word. She gives me the silent treatment...