Genre
Short story; prairie fiction
Setting and Context
The story is set on a Canadian prairie farmstead in the 1930s.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated by an unnamed third-person limited omniscient narrator; the point of view stays mainly with Ann, the protagonist.
Tone and Mood
The story's tone is contemplative and dramatic; the mood is claustrophobic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ann is the protagonist; John and Steven are her antagonists.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the story is that Ann's isolation and lack of fulfillment cause her to believe her husband is not coming home and that she is therefore justified in cheating on him with their neighbor.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Ann discovers that John, now dead, has white paint on his frozen palm—evidence that he had in fact returned home to find Ann in bed with their neighbor.
Foreshadowing
Ross foreshadows Ann and Steven's mutual attraction when the narrator details how Ann and Steven once danced together six or seven times during a barn dance night.
