Structure

The short story “The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart” by Lucy Cross has a non-traditional plot structure. The story begins with a narrative hook, as Lucy states she is in school detention (p. 33, l. 1) but does not inform readers why.

The story ends when Lucy’s detention is over, therefore, the plot appears to be chronological. However, nothing significant happens during detention, and most of the story is focused on Lucy’s thoughts and memories, which make up a narrative of their own. 

Therefore, we can say the focus of the story is on Lucy’s inner conflict. The conflict is between her friendship with Bethan, which makes her feel socially accepted, and her striving for academic excellence, which brings her personal satisfaction. From this perspective, we can s...