Summary

“The Sea Change” by Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a girl and a man who are sitting in a café in Paris. The café is almost empty and the couple sit together at a table in the corner. At the beginning of the story, the only other person present in the café is James, the barman.

The girl explains to the man, Phil, that she is leaving him. Their discussion goes back and forth as the girl tries to make him understand her reasons. At one point in their dialogue, it is revealed that the girl is leaving Phil for a woman.

The bartender looks briefly at them and thinks they are a handsome couple. However, he is more focused on finding out if the horse he put a bet on has won.

Phil disagrees with the girl’s choice to become romantically involved wi...