Wool and Fleece
The recurring descriptions of the sheep’s wool — tangled, heavy, soft, or shorn — create tactile imagery that symbolizes both comfort and vulnerability. Wool becomes a physical reminder of identity, protection, and the natural cycle of loss and renewal.
The Pasture
Swann paints the pasture with vivid visual imagery: the rolling grass, the fences, the changing light of day. This imagery establishes the sheep’s familiar, bounded world, while also highlighting the contrast between safety inside and uncertainty outside.
The Village Church
Through the sheep’s eyes, the church is described with sensory detail — the ringing bells, the flickering candles, the solemn rituals. This imagery reflects the strangeness of religion from an outsider’s perspective, making familiar human customs feel foreign and mysterious.
Night and Shadows
The novel often uses dark imagery — moonlight, long shadows, the chill of evening — to underscore moments of fear, danger, and uncertainty. The sheep’s heightened senses make these nighttime scenes especially atmospheric and suspenseful.
Books
Books are described as colorful, fragrant, and almost enchanted objects. The sheep’s sensory descriptions of their texture, smell, and appearance transform ordinary books into vivid symbols of mystery, power, and the allure of human knowledge.
