Why does Karl run back to the train station while his sister Mary runs the other direction at the end of the story? The author of The Beet Queen, Louis Erdrich, hides the answer in his description of the physical and psychological impact of the environment on the two children through literary devices as selection of detail, imagery, and point of view. Erdrich selects several crucial details to show the effect of the environment on Karl and Mary. The story happens on “a cold spring morning in 1932” (6), and the two children have “violet” “lips” and “numb” “feet” (9-10). When they search for their aunt’s butcher shop walking along the street, they “put their hands up their sleeves” (31). These details of the looks and actions of the two children indirectly describe how the cold environment makes them feel chilly physically. Furthermore, when they haven’t found their aunt and have no idea about their way, they notice the paint of the houses is…show more content… Erdrich depicts a picture that includes a “weak” (44) tree, “a scratch of light” (44) cast against things in gray, and “a film of blossoms” (46). Due to the effect of the light and the strong contrast between the gray wall and blossoms, these images create a dull and gloomy environment and highlight the beautiful blossoms, which have different impacts on the two children. The “delicate perfume” (48) and the color of the blossoms make Karl’s cheeks go pink and induce him to “bury [sic] his face in the white petals” (51). Through these images, readers can tell that the blossoms bring Karl great joy and he is really “girlish” (15). By contrast, Mary doesn’t look at them and keeps walking forward. It reveals that Mary is “square” and “practical” (18-19). By showing the imagery of the weak trees, the gray wall, and the beautiful blossoms, Erdrich allows readers to decode how the environment influences the two children’s
