Analysis

The short story “Graveyard Shift” by James M. Reasoner follows a non-traditional plot structure, without a clear resolution. An analysis of the elements of the plot shows how the story plays with the readers’ expectations, relying on foreshadowing and plot twists.

The main character is a man named Frank, who becomes the target of an armed robbery during the night shift at the convenience store where he works. The plot shows that Frank may not be as innocent as he looks and that he has his own plan to pursue.

The physical setting is the convenience store where Frank works, which also becomes the setting of the armed robbery. The social setting explores issues such as gun ownership in America, and convenience store robberies.

The story is told through the perspective of a first-person narrator. As important details about the narrator are not revealed until the plot twist, he can be considered unreliable.

The language used is straightforward. The story is told mostly in the past tense, although it sometimes switches to the present, giving the impression of events that take place regularly.

A full analysis of the story can be found in the following pages.

Further Help

For more advice about analyzing short stories, please have a look at our guide for short story analysis.