The Living Sea Summary
Tiphanie Yanique

The Living Sea Overview

In Tiphanie Yanique's short story "The Living Sea," after first person narrator Sirena's parents and brother drown, she moves to a home in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. While living here, Sirena meets a young boy named Martin with whom she falls in love. The trust and intimacy they develop grants Sirena an illusory sense of security. However, when the young couple must leave Vega Baja for San Juan, Sirena begins to question who she is, what she is capable of, and where her future might lead her. The short story explores themes including survival, abandonment, and innocence.