Content Warning: This section includes depictions of anti-Indigenous oppression, settler colonialism, graphic violence, murder, and death. It quotes pejorative and dated language to describe Indigenous people used in the source material.

“A man stood in the shadows, back a ways from the cabin. I knew it was a man, but he made me think of a wild creature […] He was dressed like no white man I had ever seen, in tattered clothing and what looked like animal skins.”

The man is Ezra, but by withholding his name, DeFelice creates a sense of danger. Ezra is a mystery, and the “shadows” and “tattered” clothes reinforce his suspicious characterization. Since he doesn’t resemble a “white man,” he’s different.

“Mama’s locket—Pa had given it to her the day they were married […] Mama had worn it every day. Inside was a tiny lock of Pa’s hair, a bit of Molly’s, and some of mine, too. ‘So you’ll always be with me, wherever I go,’ Mama used to say.”

The locket symbolizes union, as the hair unites the Fowler family, and Mama and then Pa always wear it. The symbol connects to the theme of Needing Others and Self-Reliance for Survival. The Fowler family sticks together and helps one another the best they can.

“[W]e knew how to do most everything around the farm. I chopped wood and kept the fire going. Molly made bread and stew. We fed the animals, we fetched the water, we did everything we knew to keep things right.”

Nathan and Molly rely on themselves and each other to maintain the farm and their well-being. The division of duties highlights gender norms, with Nathan performing typically masculine duties and Molly undertaking historically feminine tasks.