The Gatherer's Death
Ramon paints a gruesome image of Gatherer's death, describing in detail how the forest seems to have devoured him: "His eyes were open but twigs and all had started to enter under the lids. And they were in his mouth, too. I could see something wrapped around his tongue."
The Trade Mart
Lowry contrasts the atmosphere of Trade Mart with Market Day to emphasize its gloom and seriousness. While Market Day is characterized by "sounds of laughter, conversation, and commerce: good-natured bargaining, the squealing of pigs, the motherly cluck of hens with their cheeping broods," the Trade Mart is quieter. There is only " a low hum, a nervous whisper through the crowd."
The Newcomers
While the newcomers are frightened at first, they quickly recover from their wounds and fears. The overall image is now one of happiness and nurture. For example, the newcomers' outer appearance with their fresh clothes and washed bodies resembles an image of cleansing, which mirrors their inner state of mind as well, having lost their initial fear and desperation. Additionally, "their children played, now, with other children of Village, racing down the lanes and paths in games of tag and hide-and-seek," which illustrates how they are integrated into the community.
The Forest
When Matty goes through the forest to get Kira, the imagery creates a sense of hostility. Flora and fauna now exhibit harmful behavior: "A chipmunk, usually an amiable companion, chittered angrily and bit his finger when he held his hand toward it. Many red berries, of a kind he had always eaten, had black spots on them and tasted bitter; and for the first time he noticed poison ivy growing across the path again and again, where it had never grown before." Moreover, it is now darker than before, indicating the dark forces that grow in strength. Together with the stench, the changes in the forest foreshadow death: "There was a stench to Forest now, as if it concealed dead, decaying things in the new thick darkness."
