Both of these wishes reflect her feelings of confinement because she would do anything to have another person near her due to the lack of company. Babies are typically associated with innocence and fragility, which serves to accentuate the state of affairs in the household. Paul and Ellen’s marriage is in a fragile situation at the time of the story, given the tension in the house. That situation is made more obvious with the presence of a delicate baby. After the dust storm is over, the effects on the marriage are reflected in the fate of the baby. When Ellen runs away with the baby, it illustrates how she has grown so desperate to save her marriage, that she is willing to do anything. Eventually, she hides behind a sand drift where Paul finds her and their son. Before Paul finds Ellen and their son, the baby dies. Either the dust suffocates the innocent baby, or Ellen’s arms, “too frantic to protect him” (150), kill their son, which is the more likely scenario. Ellen’s assistance in the death of the baby does two things. First, it symbolizes the extinguishing of the hope that Paul has prior to finding to his
Both of these wishes reflect her feelings of confinement because she would do anything to have another person near her due to the lack of company. Babies are typically associated with innocence and fragility, which serves to accentuate the state of affairs in the household. Paul and Ellen’s marriage is in a fragile situation at the time of the story, given the tension in the house. That situation is made more obvious with the presence of a delicate baby. After the dust storm is over, the effects on the marriage are reflected in the fate of the baby. When Ellen runs away with the baby, it illustrates how she has grown so desperate to save her marriage, that she is willing to do anything. Eventually, she hides behind a sand drift where Paul finds her and their son. Before Paul finds Ellen and their son, the baby dies. Either the dust suffocates the innocent baby, or Ellen’s arms, “too frantic to protect him” (150), kill their son, which is the more likely scenario. Ellen’s assistance in the death of the baby does two things. First, it symbolizes the extinguishing of the hope that Paul has prior to finding to his