Loss of a father
Perhaps the reader can imagine how painful it is for Mattie to come to the funeral home, where “her dead father lies”. She needs to identify her father. The undertaker brings her into the room, where “it is very dark”, because “the windows are painted green”. Only the girl does not really like the coffin, in which her dad is put. The coffin stands on three low stools and it is “made with a pine board”, but really is “not even polished”. The image of the dead father gives an impression of Mattie’s tragedy.
Crime and Punishment
The federal court stands by the river, and “the big gallows” are placed side by side. The entrance is still free and many people come there. Indian man and two white people stand on the platform, their “hands are behind their backs”, and “three hinges hang over their heads”. All men have their new blue pants and flannel shirts, fastened under the throat. The hangman has “two long pistols” on his belt. The image of this process gives an impression of the punishment and death, which the criminals deserve.
Pit of fears
When Mattie shoots at Tom Chaney and falls into the pit, there is something terrible. It is “a human body”. When she tries to get out of the pit, “something gray” attracts her attention. There are “snakes, real poisonous snakes”. Some are large, “thicker than Mattie’s hands” and others are small – “like a lead pencil”. This pit is a real nightmare, and the image of the pit gives a stark impression of Mattie’s dangerous adventures.
