Structure

The structure of the short story “The Sea Change” by Ernest Hemingway is simple and it includes non-traditional narrative techniques such as dramatic dialogue, ellipsis, contractions, and silence. However, the author also uses traditional narrative techniques like the third-person narration, foreshadowing, and backstory.

The narration is mixed with dialogue and it is not always explicit about what is happening in the s…

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Beginning

“The Sea Change” begins in media res and is told in the past tense. It begins with a dialogue between the two main characters, a man and a girl. The story relies heavily on the dramatic dialogue between the two protagonists, replacing a traditional plot. What makes the dialogue dramatic is the evolving con…

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Middle

The middle develops the rising action, as the dialogue continues with an intense moment:

‘I’ll kill her,’ he said.
‘Please don’t,’ the girl said. (ll. 16-17)

Here, we learn that their conflict revolves around a woman, who threatens their relationship. Phil is aware of the existence of this woman before the dialogue happens.

In the story, we encounter the use of ellipsis. Although the most common form of e…

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Ending

The falling action begins as Phil watches the girl go. He leaves their table and goes to the bar. He reveals the way he feels to James: “ ‘I’m a different man, James,’ he said to the barman. ‘You see in me quite a different man.’ ” (ll. 132-133). When James seems to…