Structure

The short story “Sunday in the Park” by Bel Kaufman has a linear, chronological plot structure. The entire action takes place during a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. 

The narrative is structured around several conflicts, all of them unresolved. The first is between Larry and Joe, who throws sand at him repeatedly (p. 1, ll. 23-25; p. 1, ll. 48-51). Another conflict is between the woman and Joe. She repeatedly scolds Joe for throwing sand at Larry. This turns into a conflict between the woman and the man on the bench (p. 1, ll. 60-67), which escalates into a conflict between Morton and the man on the bench (p. 1-2, ll. 78-4). Morton retreats from this last conflict when it threatens to turn into a physical fight and leaves together with his family. (p. 2, ll. 5-11). However, his decision leads to ...