Thimble Summer

“It was like being inside of a drum. The sky like a bright skin was stretched tight above the valley, and the earth too, was tight and hard with heat. Later, when it was dark, there would be a noise of thunder, as though a great hand beat upon the drum; there would be heavy clouds above the hills, and flashes of heat lightning, but no rain.”

This quotation alludes to the drought, the environmental phenomenon that exacerbated the plight of farming communities during the Great Depression. Garnet’s family suffers from the drought during the summer, as it threatens to destroy their fields and the possibility of the harvest. Garnet also experiences inner turmoil, witnessing her parents’ distress. The simile of the drum and the bright skin and the metaphors of the “tight” earth and heavy clouds emphasize the impact of the landscape on Garnet’s psyche while foreshadowing the eventual rainfall.

“She wore a pair of blue overalls, cut off above the knee. She could whistle between her teeth like a boy and was doing it now, very softly, without thinking.”

Garnet is described as a tomboy, challenging the gender roles of her time. Unlike other girls of her age, Garnet prefers overalls instead of dresses, a style that indicates her active and adventurous spirit. In this way, Garnet is represented as a person with her own distinct identity, defying societal norms and rules. This attitude is central to her character and guides her journey throughout the novel.

“The name of it was Afterglow in the Highlands. Often Garnet looked at it and felt as though she were standing in that quiet place beside the sheep, hearing no sound but their grazing. It gave her a pleasant, far-off feeling.”

At the beginning of the novel, Garnet experiences feelings of escapism. Burdened by the struggles of farming, Garnet finds solace in fantasizing about traveling to faraway places.