Silent Snow, Secret Snow | At the Edge of Sound and Silence: Conrad Aiken’s Senlin: A Biography and Silent Snow, Secret Snow
In the following excerpt, Swan discusses the
major themes of Aiken’s ‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow.’’
In ‘‘Senlin: A Biography’’ and ‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’ Conrad Aiken explores the psyches of two people, one an old man, the other a child, who seem to be confronting something much larger than they are. In both pieces, the central figures experience something to which no one else seems to be sensitive. As this experience is uncommon, the depiction of it demands uncommon material. Aiken succeeds in presenting these nebulous experiences by carefully casting silences in his work. Aiken’s silences surround man, embody man, and are embodied by man. They also resemble...
[The entire page is 2336 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about Silent Snow, Secret Snow at eNotes.
