Silent Snow, Secret Snow (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Conrad Aiken
- First Published: 1932
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: About 1920
- Setting: An unspecified American town
- Principal Characters: Paul Haselman, Mr. Haselman, Mrs. Haselman, Miss Buell, The doctor, Deidre
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Psychology or psychologists, Alienation, Imagination, Boys, Snow
- Locales: United States
The Story
In “Silent Snow, Secret Snow,” Conrad Aiken describes the increasing emotional isolation of a boy, Paul, who prefers his imaginative world of silence and retreat to the real world of parents and teachers. Aiken limits his third-person point of view to Paul, through whose eyes readers view corruption and authority, as well as serenity, peace, and perhaps insanity.
The story begins with Paul in the classroom of Miss Buell, the geography teacher, who instructs her students in the different regions of the globe. As she conducts her class, Paul muses about his...
[The entire page is 1593 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
