The Lamp At Noon Sinclair Ross

Sometimes, a person’s head is held up so high in the clouds that they forget what’s happening down at their feet. This situation applies to one of the main characters in the short story, “The Lamp at Noon”. “The Lamp at Noon” by Sinclair Ross revolves around a young couple with an infant, and they are debating on whether to stay at the farm. Not only is there a person vs. person conflict involving the husband, Paul, and his wife named, Ellen, but there also happens to be a person vs. self conflict. The wife is trying to decide whether she should stay with her husband or run away with their child. In Sinclair Ross’ short story, the husband’s unrealistic dreams for his farms and future lead to the loss of his wife’s sanity and child which is supported by the writing style, setting …show more content…
Firstly, the author manages to use well-suited vocabulary and phrases to represent the conflict and resolution. The author narrates, “There were two winds: the wind in flight, and the wind that pursued. The one sought refuge in the eaves, whimpering, in fear; the other assailed it there, and shook the eaves apart to make it flee again” (page 141). This phrase represents Ellen’s internal conflict. The ‘wind that pursued’ signifies Ellen’s choice to stay on the farm and take no course of action. The ‘wind in flight’ represents Ellen’s choice to abandon her husband and seek a new life where her son can live without poverty. Furthermore, the story narrates Paul “staring into the livid face before him, it seemed that this scream of the wind was a cry from her parched and frantic lips. He knew it couldn’t be, he knew what she was safe