The Calm in the Storm

Salvage the Bones isn't what I would call a "setting rich" novel. Though this is the case, there is still a lot of meaning associated with the settings that are discussed. The way that the hurricane is described by Esch is a very peculiar one. She describes it in an almost calming and cool way. This chaotic event does not seem like one that would be taken lightly. Esch and her family are in the midst of a crisis and she is explaining deathly and dangerous things in a cool and collected tone. This tone also seems to be the case in "The End of Something". This whole short story is written in a very nonchalant fashion. The words flow together in a somber way and though the story is not all that eventful, the tone is unusually calm and straightforward for what is going on between the girl and the boy. It seems as if using calmer and relaxed voice can intensify the danger happening around the characters. Too much emotion can ruin the moment of the story and make it seem almost cheesy or unbelievable. If the story is told in just the right way,  the emotion is controlled but used when needed. Of course robot speak would make for a very boring character or narrator, but sometimes there needs to be a lack of emotion. These two stories have extremely different plots, but one thing they do have in common, is that they both lead up to a crucial moment that the reader is constantly waiting for. It is the one moment that you are always anticipating to happen next. When it finally arrives you are eager to see how it is put together (i.e. how it was written) and often times it is with restraint of emotion.