Structure

The short story “The Other Couple” by Sandra Marslund begins in medias res, with the narrator noticing the older couple in the hotel dining room (ll. 1-2). 

The narrator’s thoughts throughout the story hint at a traumatic event which happened not long ago. One such example is: “I wonder at how quickly you’ve got your appetite back, when I have none” (l. 13). This suggests something bad happened which made the narrator lose her appetite. Eventually, it becomes clear the narrator lost a child through miscarriage (ll. 63-66).

There are several instances of foreshadowing in the text, which point to the old couple being just a figment of the narrator’s imagination. For instance, the narrator is told they are the only clients in the hotel (l. 8). Also,...