Structure

The structure of the short story “The Raft” by Peter Orner resembles that of a story within a story. The main story follows a boy narrator and his interaction with his grandfather while the old man accounts another story, from the time he was a Marine captain in World War II.

The story also respects most of the plot elements – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution, with the mention that the rising action is another story in itself.

Title

The title of the short story indicates that the narrative is connected with the sea/ocean, as a raft is made out of timber or light materials and floats on water.

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Beginning

The short story begins with a direct exposition, introducing us to one of the key characters – the grandfather, as well as the boy narrator:

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Middle

The rising action of the short story is mostly comprised of the wartime tale Seymour accounts, but overlaps with present tension moments between the grandfather and the grandmother, as well as the grandfather and the grandson:

He looks straight at me and snarls at her, "Another word out of you, ensign, and I'll have you thrown in the brig, and you won't see beanie Dewoskin till V-J Day."
"I'll make coffee," my grandmother says. (p. 124, ll. 34-37)

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Ending

The ending of the short story comprises a brief falling action in which the conflict remains unresolved. The boy cannot and will never understand the grandfather’s action, while Seymour starts crying and leaves the closet:

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