The Imagery of Charles’ wetness - “The Child’s Champion”
Whitman describes, “As she spoke, she put her hand fondly on his head; it was as wet as if it had been dipped in the water. His shirt, too, was soaked; and as she passed her fingers down to his shoulder.” The extreme sweating is ascribed to Charley’s toiling on the farm. He is assigned predominantly arduous, manual tasks which elicit his profuse perspiring.
The Imagery of Alfred Milton - “How Nancy Jackson Married Kate Wilson”
Twain explains, “Then came a stranger along, in the early June days, and he had fine manners, and eastern ways, and tailor-made clothes, and was easy, and at home, and bright in his talk, and the village took him to its heart and was happy in his possession. He soon found his way to the Wilson farm; and Kate rejoiced, and straightway she set a trap for him.” Alfred Milton is undeniably alluring. No doubt, his mannerisms and looks entice Kate Wilson who falls for him. Unlike her past suitors, Alfred Milton enjoys Kate’s romance for she is convinced that he is the ideal spouse.
'Jo's Habitation' - "The Haunted Valley"
Ambrose Bierce writes, "It was said that Jo. had once undertaken to erect a cabin in some remote part of it, but for some reason had abandoned the enterprise and constructed his present hermaphrodite habitation, half residence and half groggery, at the roadside, upon an extreme corner of his estate; as far away as possible.” Jo’s home is isolated: equating the home to hermaphrodite underscores its queerness. The habitat would not appeal to dwellers who delight in companies of other people because it is not conventional. Obviously, residing there is characterized by an utterly lonesome existence.
Dunfer’s Antipathy - “The Haunted Valley”
Bierce elucidates, “Mr. Dunfer's most obvious characteristic was a deep-seated antipathy to the Chinese. I saw him once in a towering rage because one of his herdsmen had permitted a travel-heated Asian to slake his thirst at the horse-trough in front of the saloon end of Jo.'s establishment. I ventured faintly to remonstrate with Jo. for his unchristian spirit.” Mr. Dunfer is prejudiced towards the Asians. In the postmodern setting he would be described as racist. If Mr. Dunfer were a Christian, he would not be enraged by an Asian drinking from the horse trough because it is an harmless action. He would have preferred that the Asians die from thirst than utilize his trough. He deems the Asians inferior beings.
Diamonds - “The Bachelors”
Cynthia asserts, “Father, they are the only jewels I ever wish to accept. They were once mine: I pawned them to redeem a friend from slavery and death - that friend is before you.” The diamonds denote prodigious value. First, Mr. Long gets them so that he can bestow them to Cynthia during her nuptials. Second, the diamonds are pledged to rescue Cynthia’s ‘friend’ from enslavement. Cynthia’s sacrifice of giving up her valuable diamonds is worthwhile because eventually the father returns them to her. The initials indicate that the diamonds were destined to be Cynthia’s.
