Structure

The short story “Sleeping” by Katharine Weber has a chronological structure. The story follows the main characters over the course of a few hours, during the evening, when the Winters are at the movies. 

The story’s beginning introduces some foreshadowing elements which suggest that Harriet’s babysitting job might not be what it appears. When Mrs. Winter says that “Charles would not wake while she and Mr. Winter were out at the movies” (l. 4), readers begin to suspect that the situation is unusual. The suspicions increase when Mrs. Winter says that Charles is “a very sound sleeper” (ll. 4-5) and when she asks Harriet “not to look in on the sleeping baby” (l. 7). 

Then, a flashback reveals that Harriet is a 13-year-old who is inexperienced when it comes to babysitting: “Harriet had never held a baby, excep...