Christina's World

Christina’s Cruel World When I first seen “Christina’s World,” a painting by Andrew Wyeth, I came across a lonely girl, and I wonder. What is she doing lying in the field by herself? Was she laying in the long grass on a hot summer day enjoying a nice summer breeze? It’s hard to tell her age. Is she a widowed wife to a soldier lost in the war thinking of days long past? Perhaps she’s a teenage adolescent, resting in the grass after a long day of chores? Something caught her attention. She sat up, and twisted to look behind her.
I follow her gaze, and notice that she is looking toward a house of Georgian architecture. The front side of the house has the most detail compared to the three other buildings in the picture. I can clearly see the door, windows, and even the color of the house. This leads me to believe that Christina is focusing on the front of the house.
I see what appears to be a typical farm in rural America, somewhere in a Midwestern grassland state. This farm however, has no livestock, or crops. I see a shed to the right, and a barn about fifty yards to the left of the house. If I look closely, birds can be seen flying from the barn. Is this a possible sign of abandonment? Judging between the rough, tall grass and the smooth texture to the grass around the farm tells me this place is not as deserted as it looks. This tells me that Christina’s world has boundaries, and it appears that she is out of bounds.
The colors of the painting are very dull and flat. This only enhances the theme of a desolate and nearly dead farm. The vast field and wide open spaces make this place look very empty. The path leading up to the house seems faded by over growth; another sign that Christina’s world is a lonely place.
When I come full circle, I set my eyes back on Christina. I begin to wonder, why is she here? Why is she in rough wild grass instead of the smooth tame lawn? As I take a closer look, I notice her rigid hands clutching the