The Lamp At Noon
...gering dust. Lastly, to further accentuate the grimness, Ross introduces the image of a crying baby in poor health, undoubtedly, resulting from its unforgiving surroundings. All these factors create a haunting image which foreshadows something horrendous to come. In addition to the depiction of the merciless atmosphere to successfully describe the stark tone of the story, Sinclair Ross brings to light contrasting and similarly decisive character traits hard-wired in both Ellen and Paul to suggest the internal struggle that the couple faces. Driven by the will and the need to provide a stable, solid future for his family, Paul, the dreamer, absorbs himself religiously in his tedious farm-work in an effort to salvage, and perhaps improve the crops that the ever-lasting storm has so ruthlessly destroyed. Forced to inhabit the dust-filled house alone due to the plaguing storm with nothing to occupy her time but wait patiently for her husband to return from his monotonous chores, Ellen's character greatly contrasts that of Paul's. Contradicting to her husband, Ellen - the realist - looked forward to no future on the farm, and as a result she feels helpless, hopeless and frightened. Ross uses Ellen's suggestion that they leave the farm-life to pursue a more fulfilling and satisfying lifestyle in town to point out a similar trait in the two characters - stubborness. Driven to the point of mental exhaustion by the endless storm and the critical state of the dying crops, Ellen's stubborness derives from her need for the better things in life, and her realistic views of their desperate condition. Instead of taking what his wife has said into consideration, Paul goes on to accuse Ellen of thinking merely of herself, and not the dying baby. His pride, not his distraught wife, Ellen, and her well-being. Thus, the contrasting and similar character traits of Ellen and Paul only drive them further apart and foreshadow the tragic events of the climax. The constant banter back and forth, accusing and blaming one anot...