“Guess he's been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones get away.(Prologue)”
Within this quote we see that this place called Starkfield becomes a trap for the people living there. The ideology that people will either escape or become stuck there shows the theme of dreaming and hoping to leave that place for something better. This also shows the theme of being isolated because Ethan tries to leave he becomes stuck from living in Starkfield for so long. Then with him returning back to Starkfield after trying to get away from there only pushes his dream of staying away from that town.
”He's looked that way ever since he had his smash-up; and that's twenty-four years ago come next February […]" (Prologue)
Before the chapters beginning,
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Yet they were blocked by barriers of things that were bad that took over their lives thus causing for the ideology of being a better person is further away now.
”“make a garden” for Mattie.(Chapter 4)”
This quote can be seen as a connection for Ethan’s passion to create a garden for Mattie is a biblical allusion to the Garden of Eden. Within the Book of Genesis the Garden of Eden was where Adam and Eve were being kicked out from being disobey and unloyal to God. In this novella, the “garden” is not set up to be something one might imagine, Ethan can only plant flowers right.
”No, I didn't forget; but it's as dark as Egypt.(Chapter 5)”
This quote stood out to me because i saw a biblical connection The Ten Plagues of Egypt of the Book of Exodus. Darkness is expressed as a plague God placed over Egypt which is also the ninth plague. There is also a simile in this quote by comparing the darkness outside is like the dark nights of the Ten Plagues of
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Zeena may know it will hit home to Ethan because of having previous family relatives been in that house for this reasons.This comment wasn’t serious but she figured it could use it to taunt with Ethan during their fight.
”..now his one ray of light was to be extinguished.(Chapter 8)”
This quote is where Zeena expresses that she wants a more reliability and helpful caregiver so Mattie needs to leave. The “Ray of light” is clearly how Ethan sees Mattie as but if she leaves then it will move the possibility of leaving town and starting a new life with each other will be extinguished as well.
“So ’t we'll never come up any more (Chapter 9)”
Mattie wants her and Ethan to be together forever going sledding and purposely crashing into the tree so that they can die together. This quote sets a tone of darkness and sadness when saying that death is the only way for them to be together of out desperation. Mattie is not sure what her next plans for finding somewhere to live and what to do next with her life. This is where the sadness comes in to play by her figuring the only best option she has left is to kill herself and the one she loves