Style and Technique
Aiken’s story relies on both literary and psychological symbolism. By forcing the reader to adopt Paul’s point of view, Aiken encourages his audience to identify with the boy, who seems locked in conflict with his father in a classical Oedipal situation. Paul mentions his conflict with his father and mother, but he only speaks of talking with his mother. When the examination (the “inquisition” as seen by Paul) occurs, Paul hears his father’s soft and cold voice of “silken warning”; later, Paul hears the “resonant and cruel” punishment voice. In fact, Paul cannot meet his father’s gaze, for he sees only his father’s brown slippers, which come closer and closer.
Not only does the reader adopt Paul’s perspective (the examination is an “inquisition” and a “cross-examination,” both of which imply Paul as persecuted victim), but also the reader shares Paul’s thoughts as Aiken moves from third-person limited point of view to an even more intimate stream-of-consciousness narration. As a result, Paul’s interpretation of the events seems so convincing that a concerned mother’s visit becomes an invasion by an “alien,” that a cruel “I hate you!” becomes an exorcising phrase. (The references to “exorcism” and “inquisition” suggest that Paul’s world has become a religion for him.)
Aiken’s style also involves the use of imagery that suggests corruption and the failure of relationships. As he walks home, Paul notices “items of mere externality” that comment ironically on his internal state: a dirty newspaper touting an ointment for eczema, a physical corruption; “lost twigs descended from their parent trees,” surely a reference to his own relationship to his father; a piece of gravel on the “lip of a sewer,” balanced like Paul between two states; “a fragment of eggshell,” which suggests birth and a divided personality; and a gateway with balanced egg-shaped stones, thereby connoting an entrance to another world while referring again to birth and potential development.
Perhaps because of his relationship with his father, Paul also pauses at the empty birdhouse, which obliquely relates to his own home. That the mere details are meant to represent the real world seems obvious because Aiken uses large-scale terms with small objects: There is a “continent of brown mud” and a “delta” near the gutter. What Paul sees is a microcosm of the macrocosm, the real world.
Compared to this world of “the usual, the ordinary,” Paul’s snow world is understandably appealing, because it is a combination of “ethereal loveliness” and terrifying beauty. Aiken observes that no fairy story Paul had ever read could compare to it, and, ironically, when the snow speaks, it is in terms of a fairy tale, which can also be beautiful and terrifying (and many deal with failed family relationships): “I will tell you a better story than Little Kay of the Skates or the Snow Ghost.” In the familiar guise of a fairy tale, the snow draws Paul into a story of a flower becoming a seed. Rather than stressing growth and development, the story describes regression and withdrawal from the real world.
Historical Context
The Great Depression
‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’’ was published in 1934, during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first term. At this time, America was deeply affected by the Great Depression, which disrupted daily life, left many unemployed, and plunged numerous families into poverty. This economic downturn was not limited to the United States; countries like Britain, France, Italy, and Germany also experienced severe inflation and unemployment. In Italy, a fascist regime, which came to power in 1922, promised to restore national order and economic...
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stability. By 1934, Germany saw the rise of another fascist regime as the Nazis took control. In England, a totalitarian movement emerged when Oswald Mosley founded the Union of Fascists, known as the ‘‘Black Shirts.’’
National Mood
In contrast, the United States witnessed ongoing advances in industry and technology. Although not everyone in 1934 could purchase them, new household appliances like refrigerators and electric ovens became available. Air travel started to rival train travel, and radio, the first significant mass medium, gained prominence. President Roosevelt’s ‘‘Fireside Chats,’’ broadcast across the nation, helped unify the country.
Literary and Artistic Trends
In 1934, two pivotal trends emerged in American literature. One was the social consciousness movement, represented by writers like John Steinbeck, who depicted the struggles of ordinary people during economic hardships. The other was the modernist movement, illustrated by the poetry of Ezra Pound and Wallace Stevens, and the novels of John Dos Passos.
The modernist movement rejected the literary norms of the nineteenth century, often leaving readers deliberately disoriented by breaking narratives into fragmented and disjointed sections. Modernism was also evident in the abstract schools of painting and sculpture, as well as in atonal music. Proponents of modernism argued that its emphasis on ‘‘alienation’’ accurately mirrored a world where human consciousness was increasingly detached from its roots.
Literary Style
Lyricism
Aiken infused his fiction with the sensitivity and skill of a poet. He tells the story of "Silent Snow, Secret Snow" through Paul's perspective, ensuring that his stream-of-consciousness writing style resonates directly with readers. It's no surprise that Aiken's poetry is rich with lyrical elements. He also emphasizes the sensory qualities of words. For instance, the frequent use of alliteration, particularly the repeated "s" sounds, is evident right from the story's title. Additionally, Aiken succeeds in giving his prose the fluidity of everyday conversation. Although the narrative is in the third person, it remains true to the language style of a twelve-year-old boy.
Grammar
In "Silent Snow, Secret Snow," Aiken begins his exploration of insanity at the grammatical level. In the first paragraph, Paul contemplates the snow—symbolizing the onset of his madness—and refers to it with the pronoun "it": "Just why it should have happened, or why it should have happened just when it did, he could not, of course, possibly have said" (emphasis added). This personified "it" becomes a tangible entity.
Point of View
Aiken captures Paul's observations, such as when he examines the clutter in a muddy gutter: "In the gutter, beside a drain, was a scrap of torn and dirty newspaper, caught in a little delta of filth; the word ECZES MA appeared in large capitals, and below it was a letter from Mrs. Amelia D. Cravath, 2100 Pine Street, Fort Worth, Texas, to the effect that after being a sufferer for years she had been cured by Haley’s Ointment. In the little delta, beside the fan-shaped and deeply funneled continent of brown mud, were lost twigs . . . dead matches, a rusty horse-chestnut burr, a small concentration of eggshell, a streak of yellow sawdust . . . a brown pebble, and a broken feather." Aiken doesn’t need to add explanation, as the randomness of these objects mirrors Paul's internal chaos.
Conversely, each item depicted in the gutter serves as a metaphor for Paul’s deteriorating state; eczema is a bothersome skin condition; a broken feather signifies a bird's inability to fly; and a shattered eggshell might symbolize the fragmented unity of a personality.
Finally, readers should recognize that Aiken’s masterful use of the snow’s whiteness might symbolize the obliteration of Paul’s consciousness. This whiteness, combined with the flurry of sibilant "s" sounds at the story's conclusion, illustrates Paul’s spiral into madness.
Compare and Contrast
1930s: The American economy struggles heavily under the weight of the Great Depression. The stock market crash of 1929 triggered a global economic downturn, leading to severe consequences: unprecedented unemployment, soaring inflation, and the collapse of banks and other financial institutions. Numerous families lose their entire savings and possessions, forcing them to depend on charity. In response, the U.S. government introduces various social programs aimed at alleviating hardship, revitalizing the economy, and helping citizens regain stability.
1990s: The economy experiences an unprecedented era of prosperity and expansion. Unemployment rates are exceptionally low, and inflation is minimal. The U.S. budget, which faced a significant deficit in the 1980s, achieves a surplus for the first time in many years.
1930s: Fascism gains momentum in Europe as economic and social turmoil enable leaders like Benito Mussolini in Italy to ascend to power.
1990s: The countries that once embraced fascism in the 1930s now operate as republics. For instance, Germany has rebounded from the impacts of two World Wars to reestablish itself as a global economic and political force. Europe has united to form the European Community, adopting a single currency and pooling economic resources.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Erskine, Thomas L. ‘‘The Two Worlds of ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’’ in From Fiction to Film: Conrad Aiken’s ‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’ edited by Gerald R. Barrett and Thomas L. Erskine, Encino, Calif.: Dickenson Publishing Co., 1972, pp. 86–91.
Gossman, Ann. ‘‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’: The Child as Artist,’’ in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 1, No. 2, Winter, 1964, pp. 123–28.
Hamalian, Leo. ‘‘Aiken’s ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’’ in Explicator, Vol. 7, 1948, Item 17.
Hoffman, Frederick J. Conrad Aiken, New York: Twayne Publishers, 1962.
———. Freudianism and the Literary Mind, 2nd ed., Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1957.
Slap, Laura. ‘‘Conrad Aiken’s ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’: Defenses against the Primal Scene,’’ in American Imago, Vol. 37, 1980, pp. 1–11.
Swan, Jesse. ‘‘At the Edge of Sound and Silence: Conrad Aiken’s ‘Senlin: A Biography’ and ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’’ in The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. XXII, No. 1, Fall, 1989, pp. 41–9.
Tebeaux, Elizabeth. ‘‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’: Style as Art,’’ Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 20, No. 2-3, Spring-Summer, 1983, pp. 105–14.
Further Reading
Butscher, Edward. Conrad Aiken: Poet of White Horse Vale, Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1988. Butscher provides insight into Aiken’s life and how it influenced his writing.
Erskine, Thomas L. ‘‘The Two Worlds of ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’’ in From Fiction to Film: Conrad Aiken’s ‘‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow,’’ edited by Gerald R. Barrett and
Thomas L. Erskine, Encino, Calif.: Dickenson Publishing Co., 1972, pp. 86–91. Erskine offers his perspective on the narrative, especially focusing on the theme of revelation.
Hoffman, Frederick J. Conrad Aiken, New York: Twayne Publishers, 1962. Hoffman assesses Aiken’s accomplishments, interpreting the snow as a metaphor for mortality, thus placing the story firmly within the tragic genre.
