The April sky
The opening sentence in the novel depicts a sense of sight. The narrator says, "A column of smoke rose thin straight from the cabin chimney. The smoke was blue where it left the red clay. It trailed into the blue of the sky and was no longer blue but grey." The blueness of the sky during April is significant because it shows the start of the dry season. One of the things that Jody's family struggle with is hunger, which is caused by the prolonged drought that starts in April.
Penny's dress code
Penny's dress code whenever he goes to church or trading depicts the sense of sight. The narrator says, “Penny Baxter was at the wood pile. He still wore the coat of the broadcloth suit he had been married in, which he now wore as a badge of his gentility when he went to church or off trading. The sleeves were too short, not because Penny had grown, but because the years of hanging through the summer dampness and being pressed with the smoothing iron and pressed again had somehow shrunk the fabric." The imagery is significant because it shows Penny's nature of work and religiosity. Penny is always in his wedding coat whenever he goes to church or conducts serious business. In addition, the dampness mentioned in the imagery shows that Penny spends most of his time hunting in humid bushes to provide for his family.
The imagery of Lake George
The description of Lake George paints a picture of enthusiasm. Jody says, "The creek joined Lake George, which was part of the St. John's river; the great river flowed northward and into the sea. It excited Jody to watch the beginning of the ocean. There were other beginnings, true, but this one was his own." The imagery is significant because it gives Jody hope of accomplishing his dreams. The realization that everything has a beginning reenergizes Jody's spirit to excel in what his father does best, hunting.
