The girl

The girl from “The Sea Change” by Ernest Hemingway is bisexual and is about to leave her boyfriend, Phil, for a woman.

The girl is not a developing character as she is certain about who she is throughout the story. Also, she is determined to leave Phil from the sta…

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Outer characterization

The story contains multiple references to the girl's outer characterization. The narrator describes her clothes and outer appearance at the start of the story: “The girl wore a tweed suit, her skin was a smooth golden brown, her blonde hair was cut short and grew beautifully away from her forehead.” (ll. 13-15)

As the setting is probably meant to be read as contemporary to the time of publishing, her suit and short hair fit th…

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Inner characterization

The girl’s inner characterization is constructed through the dialogue she has with Phil and through several remarks made by the third-person narrator.

From the beginning of the story, readers find out that the girl is faced with an impossibility: “ ‘No,’ said the girl, ‘I can’t.’ ” (l. 2); “ ‘I can’t,’ said the girl.” (l. 4). It is not clear what she is referring to, but she gives in when confronted with the man’s suggestion that her problem i…