Frosty Wet in the Looming Clouds (Olfactory Imagery)
At the beginning of the novel, Ree stands outside her family home and grows concerned about how the coming winter weather will impact her impoverished family's ability to stay warm. Woodrell writes: "She smelled the frosty wet in the looming clouds, thought of her shadowed kitchen and lean cupboard, looked to the scant woodpile, shuddered." In this example of olfactory imagery, Woodrell immerses the reader in Ree's perspective by detailing the scent of immanent snowfall she senses.
Lapping Waves of Far Shores (Auditory Imagery)
With her mother incapacitated by mental illness and sedatives, and her father missing, Ree is the sole provider for her family. To ease the stress of her predicament, Ree goes out to the forest alone and listens to ambient recordings of tranquil environments. Woodrell writes: "As the frosty bits dwindled the wind slowed and big snowflakes began falling as serenely as anything could fall the distance from the sky. Ree listened to lapping waves of far shores while snowflakes gathered on her." In this example of auditory imagery, Woodrell juxtaposes the recorded sound of lapping waves on a warm beach with the stark reality of her actual surroundings.
Clamor of Beating Knuckles (Auditory Imagery)
In Chapter 34, Merab and her two sisters arrive on the Dollys' porch after dark. They knock on the door together, making "the door [shake] as the clamor of beating knuckles fill[s] the house." In this example of auditory imagery, Woodrell immerses the reader in Ree's fearful state by detailing how the ominous, intimidating noise of the Thump sisters' knocking echoes through the house.
Reek of Udder Balm and Brown Gravy (Olfactory Imagery)
After the Thump sisters promise to bring Ree to see her father's corpse, Ree agrees to let them put a sack over her head so she doesn't know where exactly they are driving her. As the car skids around and bumps over potholes, the sack loosens and Ree inhales "the scent of the sisters, a domineering reek of udder balm and brown gravy, straw and wet feathers." In this example of olfactory imagery, Woodrell adds to the realism of the scene by describing the overpowering farmhand odor of the fearsome Thump sisters.
