The narrator

Outer characterisation

The narrator’s outer characterisation tells us that she has scars on her neck, which she suggests are gills (ll. 1-2). She also claims that she has green hair (ll. 21-24), scaly patches on her back and legs (ll. 66-70), and webbed feet (l. 54). She hides her scars with a scarf and wears waterproof foundation (l. 49).

Throughout the story “The Sea in Me” by Krishan Coupland, the narrator suggests that she is not entirely human and that she is part fish or mermaid. It remains unclear if she is right about her condition and has some physical anomalies, or if she imagines some of these traits. The scars that she considers to be gills could be self-inflicted, suggesting a disturbed state of mind.

The narrator is a teenager and a talented, competitive swimmer (ll. 19-20) who has won many competitions: “all the trophies and the medals and certificates at home” (l. 104). The story suggests she has been training since she was a child (ll. 15-17), that she lives in the UK (l. 137), and that her father has been absent from her life for a long time (ll. 143-144).

Inner characterisation

The narrator’s inner characterisation is constructed through her language, her thoughts, and her actions.

In the opening paragraph of the story, she shares the fact that she sometimes tries to open up the scars on her neck in the bath. However, this does not work, as...