Behaviors shown by Vardaman are justifiable on account of the dire circumstances in which the novel takes place. The repetitive intrusion of the comparison of a fish and Vardaman’s dead mother is nonetheless a form of shock at the recent loss of his mother. This comparison repeats itself throughout the entire novel, usually toward the end of each of Vardaman’s chapters. This is justifiable because of the grief that has fallen upon the fictional family as well as what the reader would generally expect given the circumstances.
The particular