The author communicates that the monotonous nature of the woman's life seemed to suddenly age her considerably. He touches on the common theme of immortality. That which is young can so suddenly and unexpectedly appear old. .
"She was a slight thing, and when she had been married for three or four years, and after the two children were born, her slender shoulders became stooped.".
(Death in the woods, S. Anderson: 285).
The shorter sharp sentences move the story along. They appear to supply the tasks completed, while the longer sentences are more thoughtful and appear somewhat embellished with the narrator's own experience and thoughts. .
The tone of the story could be described as depressing, in terms of the woman's apparently unfulfilled life. The tone becomes more personal as the story progresses. While the tone begins detached and somewhat impersonal, details provided by the narrator eventually allow the reader to empathise with the woman. For example, the woman begins nameless and anonymous, until the narrator gives her a name. However, the name bestowed on the woman is still detached and formal, as the reader is only provided with a surname, which does not allow the reader to bond completely with the woman.
"The old woman was nothing special. She was one of the nameless ones that hardly anyone knows Her name was Grimes-.
(Death in the woods, S. Anderson: 282-283).
The reader feels sorry for the woman, but eventually, as the story reaches its climax with the woman's death, the reader experiences a great feeling of regret and pity towards her. The change in tone represents the end of one part of the woman's life and the start of the next.
The narrator creates a mood of loneliness and routine. The setting of the woods emphasises the solitary nature of the woman's activities. The setting of the story in winter cleverly parallels with the coldness and bitterness that emanates from the woman's life.
