The black veil
The siblings are at their father's burial, and the scene’s mood and tone are disheartening and sad. Their mother is the most affected, and she looks tired and old in her black veil. Ellen says, "We have hardly seen mother – under that black veil. It must have aged her. This long nursing.” The imagery is significant because it shows readers the mood at the funeral. After all, the most affected person is Mrs. McPherson is the most affected. Her black veil symbolizes the sad mood and her worries about how she will face the world alone after the death of her husband.
The imagery of the house
Mrs. McPherson described her house as a hospital when her husband was sick to show her children that taking care of their sick father alone was not an easy task. Mrs. McPherson says, "When your father saw fit to make over the property to me–to save it–and when he knew that hadn't many years to live, I took hold of things. I had to have a nurse for your father–and a doctor coming; the house was a sort of hospital, so I made a little more so. I had a dozen patients and nurses here and made money by it." The imagery is important because it shows why the mother is unwilling to share her properties with them. When their father was sick, none of the children came to help their mother, but now they dare to demand an inheritance.
The traveling suit
The siblings had never seen their mother in a traveling suit, and when she exposed her dress code, all of them were amazed and dumbfounded. The author says, "She unbuttoned the long black cloak and dropped it at her feet, standing there in the full sunlight, a little flushed and smiling, dressed in a well-made traveling suit of dull mixed colors." This imagery is paramount because it shows that Mrs. McPherson is an independent woman who can take care of herself and is ready to explore the world. Consequently, she does not want any of her children to take care of her because she has saved enough to live independently and happily.
