The writer uses pastoral imagery and spare descriptions of the Swedish countryside. to create an atmosphere of rural life. There are instances of imagery used in the description of the expansive landscapes seen by the peddler on road, of the crofter's little gray cottage, and of Ramsjo Ironworks.
The Crofter's Gray Cottage
→ The crofter's cottage is described using simple, pastoral imagery.
→ "One dark evening as he was trudging along the road, he caught sight of a little gray cottage by the roadside, and he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night."
→ Furthermore, the image of the crofter living alone with his cow on a small plot of land evokes the environment of rural Sweden in the late 19th century.
Ramsjo Ironworks
→ While the story is dominated by rural imagery, the description of Ramsjo Ironworks gives the reader a sense of the industrial landscape of the time.
→ "All the time there were many sounds to be heard in the forge. The big bellows groaned and the burning coal cracked. The fire boy shoveled charcoal into the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter. Outside roared the waterfall, and a sharp north wind whipped the rain against the brick-tiled roof."
→ Infusing the loudness of the forge with the loudness of a natural formation like a roaring waterfall and road, the industry setting is integrated into the pastoral landscape.
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