Angry Little Snakes of Snow (Metaphor)
After John leaves Ann alone in the house, she alternates between painting the bedroom door, stoking the fire, and looking out the window at a winter storm which is gathering strength. Ross writes that "ominously for a while there were only the angry little snakes of snow." In this metaphor, Ann sees the formations of snow blowing across the frozen landscape as looking like snakes. By equating the snow to creatures associated with the serpent who tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden, Ross uses the metaphor to hint at the ominous implications of the impending storm.
Like the Covert Withdrawal of An Ally (Simile)
As night falls, Ann feels a sense that the light is abandoning her in the way she feels abandoned by John. Ross writes that "it was like the covert withdrawal of an ally, leaving the alien miles unleashed and unrestrained." In this simile, Ross personifies the light by likening it to a friend who, without announcing their departure, quietly leaves Ann, making her feel even more alone than she was before.
Minds Kept Shriveling Dry (Metaphor)
Left alone, Ann considers the many springs and summers that lie before her and John, "while they grew old, while their bodies warped, while their minds kept shriveling dry and empty like their lives." In this metaphor, Ann's and John's minds and lives shrivel dry in the way a plant loses its vitality. Although their lives and minds will not literally shrivel from loss of moisture, the figure of speech emphasizes Ann's sense of doom as she tries to picture her future as a farmer's wife.
