Solar Eclipse
"The sun devoured by the predator moon until its light ceased and darkness fell upon the face of the land. The aborigine, too, fell upon the land, crying for the loss of heaven's fire and fear of everlasting night."
In days gone by, the indigenous people of the land believed the sun was fire from Heaven and because of this believed that the eclipse was a loss of this fire and a dimming in Heaven's power. This image paints a picture of the battle between the moon and the sun and inspires a visual image of the rich orange fire colors and the comparative blackness which was threatening and seemed all encompassing.
Graveyard
"The old man started northwards, up the snow banked street, until, atop a moonlit knoll, the silhouette of an angel statue came into view against the velvet backdrop of night. The statue had been erected over the grave of a three year old girl."
Throughout the novel the author uses imagery of angels and the graveyard to convey an image of ghost lines and the ghosts that plague the marriage of David and MaryAnn, and this image of the graveyard is very cold as it mentioned s snow banked streets; this gives the reader a visual picture of the heavenly images and also makes us feel cold from both the wintery conditions and also the chill of loneliness.
David's Mother
"The form moved stiffly, struggling to her feet. To the sexton' surprise, it was not the graceful, slender form of the child's mother, but instead the withered and heavyset personage of a woman, older than himself. Her steel hue hair, framed by a vermillion kerchief, was matted against her forehead, and the lantern's light reflected off the residue of tears which streaked her cheeks."
The way in which the author described the woman is simultaneously full of color but also reminiscent of one of the statues in the cemetery. She seems carved and made of stone in her movement. Again the author uses the image of light to create an image of something that is connected to heaven.
Gravesite Rose
"She slowly crouched forward, her petite, gloved hand grasped the flower, raising it to her nose - it was a rose, its bud closed tightly and encrusted in the frost that both killed and preserved. Looking down, she noticed that the flower was not the only occupant of the shelf. Something lay beneath it. She brushed back the snow, uncovering an envelope. The envelope's seal was pressed in burgundy wax, the embossed image of a rosebud, its thorny stem and leaves swirled about the icon in an elaborate flourish. Lifting it from the base, she slid back its flap, extracted its contents, and unfolded parchment as fragile as snowflakes kit on the paper, melted and joined the ink in constitution."
The author's use of the rose motif throughout the book also conjures an image for the reader of love and loss, and of faded beauty. Again, the old and the snow is described to create a picture of cold as well as a feeling of cold. The image of beauty having died is also again described here which gives the reader a sad picture of something beautiful that had been lost.
Lawrence's House
"Catherine pushed open the warped door and entered, preceded by a rush of winter air. The chill braced the small shack, repelled only by the hissing fire in the cast iron belly of the Franklin stove. Her cheeks were rosy from the drive..."
This image creates not only a visual image for the reader but an auditory one too, with the hissing fire and also the rush of air coming through he door with Catherine. We also have an image that engages our sense of smell as the fire and the burning iron would be very pungent. The rosy glow of her cheeks reflect the glow of the fire in the stove and again the feeling of cold is communicated to the reader so that we also feel a chill from the winter.
