Short Fiction · Chapter
I Can’t Breathe explained
A young woman, staying at an inn with her aunt and uncle while her parents are abroad, records her diary entries.
What happens
A young woman, staying at an inn with her aunt and uncle while her parents are abroad, records her diary entries. She is engaged to Walter but finds herself attracted to Frank, a charming man she meets at the inn. After a ride with Frank, he proposes and she jokingly agrees, but he takes it seriously. She is now torn between Walter, Gordon (a former fiancé), and Frank, and is anxious about how to resolve the situation.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the crowd’s self-deception, where their…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Marriage and Gender Roles
Ella's engagement and the pressure to marry at a young age, along with her mother's disapproval, highlight societal expectations for women in the 1920s.
- Alcohol and Escapism
Frank's drinking and the use of cocktails as a social lubricant reflect the escapist tendencies of the era, and Ella's own romantic fantasies serve as a form of escape.
Characters to notice
- Ella
The narrator, a young woman engaged to Walter, who becomes entangled with Frank and Gordon.
- Walter Donaldson
Ella's fiancé, who sends her romantic night letters and is worried about her lack of communication.
- Fitz
Frank, a charming man at the inn who proposes to Ella and believes they are engaged.
- Gordon Flint
Ella's former fiancé, who returns from a trip around the world and rekindles his feelings for her.
Key passages
“I can’t breathe.”
I feel overwhelmed and suffocated by my emotions.
Ella repeatedly uses this phrase to express her intense feelings of love and anxiety.
“I simply can’t live and I know I’ll never sleep tonight.”
I am so distraught that I feel I cannot go on, and I am certain I will be awake all night.
Ella's dramatic reaction to the predicament with Frank shows her youthful emotional intensity.
