The Opening Line
In the novel, the imagery of the Arctic landscape is portrayed through the figurative embrace of perpetual twilight. The narrator states, "The day of the earthquake was the darkest day of the year. This far north what counted as day was just twilight stretched thin, so that no shadows fell, and the steeple of the church made no impression on the snow, and the river and forest and hills were all suspended in the same half-finished light." This imagery conveys a sense of suspended time with everything blending into a monochrome tableau. The mention of the northern lights and midnight sun add to the otherworldly ambiance. This interplay of landscape and light highlights the enigmatic nature of life in this remote setting.
Cultural Mosaic
Pylväinen employs vivid imagery to depict the complex cultural and geographical landscape of the northern region. The narrator asserts, "Technically speaking, Gárasavvon sat on the Swedish side of the banks of the Tornio River, the path of which demarcated the border between Sweden and Russia; as such, you could stand at the church doors in Sweden and wave to someone in Russia, when in all likelihood that person would not really be Russian, but Finnish, unless, of course, the person was Sámi—which was, then, statistically more likely than an ethnic Finn this far north." This passage evokes the intricacies of this northern region where geographical borders hardly align with ethnic identities. It expresses the fluidity of identity and geography in this multifaceted setting.
Vibrant Tapestry of Easter Festivities
The narrator states, "Easter was always the busiest day of the year, the most festive, a day of trade and talk and usually some kind of merriment, and some kind of fight mixed in, and everywhere there were sledges, and reindeer tied to anything that didn’t move, and reindeer being watched over in a field for a token price by young people with pimples, and people were selling things from their sledges and from inside little lávvus set up everywhere." In this excerpt, Pylväinen employs rich imagery to depict the vibrant and bustling atmosphere of Easter festivities in the community. The imagery brings to life the lively scenes where an array of items are being sold and exchanged.
Winter Travails
Pylväinen employs striking imagery to portray the grueling challenges of a journey through the wintry landscape. The narrator says, "Willa’s body was a beast of burden, and the burden was herself…her hands were so stiff she could make no fine movements at all…She was being made into a new body, she was being reshaped; her face had gone hard, and her lips were peeling." The portrayal of her body struggling against the cold indicates the intensity of the experience. Thus, it demonstrates the endurance amid the adversities faced during this arduous journey.
