Plot

By plot we understand the sequence of events that make up a story. Traditional plots can be broken down into several elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. However, not all stories follow this structure. Some story is devoid of plot, while others include new elements or excludes some of the traditional ones.

The plot in “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway is, as the tittle announces it, constructed around the little boy’s inner torment and heroic fatalism induced by the wrongful idea that he is about to die of high fever caused by influenza. We will now look at each of the elements of the plot and outline how they function in this short story.

Exposition

The exposition coincides or overlaps with the inciting action or the intrigue. From the very first lines, we find out what triggers the events – Schatz, a little boy, is sick. Notice that the author does not g...