The Lamp at Noon Essay Questions

How does "vision" factor into Paul and Ellen's conflict?

The conflict that drives the plot of "The Lamp at Noon" is that Ellen and Paul are unable to convince each other of their competing visions of what they should do to ensure a safe future for themselves and their son. Ellen sees a better future if they leave the farm, while Paul envisions future fertility. The tit-for-tat nature of their argument suggests that they are unwilling to see things through the other's point of view. From Paul's perspective, Ellen is incompatible with farm life, while he sees himself as incompatible with life as a shop assistant in town. This stubbornness—exacerbated by Paul's defensive nature and propensity toward delusions of future prosperity—insulates him from seeing the truth that Ellen tries to communicate. Just as the dust obscures their physical vision, these personality traits obscure Paul's vision of their desolate circumstances. Meanwhile, Ellen's eyes have been fixed wide open by the truth she sees, which drives her mad.

"The Lamp at Noon" is considered a masterful example of Canadian prairie fiction. What defines this genre and how is this realized within the story?

Similar to frontier novels, Canadian prairie fiction isolates its characters in the largely inhospitable rural landscape of the Canadian prairie provinces. In this genre, protagonists work closely with nature and tend to have only themselves and a small group of friends or family for help and social support. "The Lamp at Noon" is considered an early example of the genre, as it is set in an isolated farmhouse in the midst of the Dust Bowl. The dust storms and desertification of the land are prime examples of the harsh environments typical of this genre, while Ellen and Paul's social isolation and poor management of the land leads to delusion and tragedy.

"The Lamp at Noon" uses the image of Ellen's lamp throughout the story. How is the image used and what is its symbolic significance?

At the beginning of the story, Ellen lights the lamp for practical reasons: impenetrable clouds of dust block the sunlight and necessitate her lighting a lamp at what should be the brightest part of the day. After the couple argues, Paul pictures his wife's face as lit by the lamp and understands that she sees no future on the farm is desperate to leave. At this moment, the lamp comes to symbolize her insight. When Paul realizes Ellen is gone, he sees that the lamp has been blown out by the fierce wind; with the flame, any chance of acting on her insight has been extinguished, and along with the missed opportunity, their child has died.