A young widow named Eliza awakens from a nightmare on the anniversary of her husband's death at sea. She dresses in black and takes her young child to the beach near the lifeboat house where her husband was last seen. While watching her child play, Eliza struggles with accepting that her husband is gone. A turning point comes when her child asks where his father is. Later, at the lifeboat house, Eliza leaves flowers and a note as a way to say goodbye and find closure, allowing herself to finally move on from her grief.

1. Story synopsis<br />A sequencing of events in story order<br />Three Act Structure<br />BEGINNING<br />The “Set-up”...<br />...in which the characters, the dramatic premise, the situation and the relationship between the protagonist and other people who inhabit the landscape of his/her world are all established.<br />Thinking Of YouGenre: Social Realism/ Period DramaSetting (Time & Place): The Mary Stanford Lifeboat House, Winchelsea Beach, Rye, November 1928Main Character: Eliza, 20 years old; has a young child, 6A young woman awakes from a nightmare. She is alone in her room. Sitting down at the dressing table she takes the anniversary card which she’s written for her husband out and places it on the surface. This is followed by a “missing in action” telegram.She then makes her way to the shore tailed by her child. She’s dressed in black and clutches a bouquet of flowers. The sea is rough and sky, cloudy. Behind her stands the lifeboat house, the structure that launched the boat that her husband was onboard five days prior. <br />Three Act Structure<br />MIDDLE<br />The “Confrontation/Development”...<br />...in which the protagonist encounters obstacles that keep him from achieving his dramatic need.<br />Want: Her husbandNeed: To say goodbye and move onObligation: To pay her respects Opposition: She loves him and can’t let him go, not sure whether he’s going to come back.Catalyst for change: Her child releases its toy boat into the ocean and asks where he is.She takes a flower out of the bunch and plucks each petal, dropping them into the waves. She sees flashbacks of them together. Her child places its boat into the water and they both watch it drift out to sea. The child looks up at her and asks “Is Daddy coming home today?”She kisses the top of her head and they walk toward the lifeboat house. There, she places her flowers and a note “thinking of you”.<br />Three Act Structure<br />END<br />The “Resolution”...<br />...in which the conflict is resolved and obstacle(s) surmounted.<br />Climax: ‘Seeing him’ by the lifeboat house.Resolution: She finally accepts that she needs to move on.Audience Reaction/ theme: Grief/acceptance Upon their departure through the fields, she turns back to see him leaning against the lifeboat house, waving at her. She smiles warmly and with teary eyes, blows him a kiss. The sun breaks through the clouds and she allows herself to move on knowing that he hasn’t vanished completely.<br />