The Imagery of the Trooper (“Powder”)
The narrator says: “his face bleached by the cold, snowflakes clinging to his eyebrows and to the fur trim of his jacket and cap.” The trooper’s imagery stresses the greatness of the snow. The trooper’s form, in itself, is an argument that would induce the narrator and his father to put off their intention of going home.
The Imagery of ‘The Engine Room’ (“The Night in Question”)
Relating to the engine room, Tobias Wolff explains, “You can imagine the kind of power that's needed to raise and lower a drawbridge, aside from the engine itself-all the winches and levers, pulleys and axles and wheels and so on. Massive machinery. Gigantic screws turning everywhere, gears with teeth like file cabinets. They've got catwalks and little crawlways through the works for the mechanics.” The engine room is equipped with formidable machinery that could easily annihilate a human being within an instant. Wolff’s depiction of the engine room notifies that reader about Benjamin’s exposure and his nearness to death.
The Imagery of Frances confronting her Father (“The Night in Question”)
Tobias Wolff writes, “One night Frances grabbed her father's belt as he started after Frank, and when he flung her aside Frank head-rammed him in the stomach. Frances jumped on her father's back and the three of them crashed around the room.” In this scene, Frances acts in time to shield her brother from mistreatment. Even though she is a female her involvement has an impression because it foils her father’s efforts to mete out physical harm of her brother.
