A Lantern in Her Hand

“Cedartown is neither effete nor distinctive, nor is it even particularly pleasing to the passing tourist. It is beautiful only in the eyes of those who live here and in the memories of the Nebraska-born whose dwelling in far places has given them moments of homesickness for the low rolling hills, the swell and dip of the ripening wheat, the fields of sinuously waving corn and the elusively fragrant odor of alfalfa.”

This physical depiction of Cedartown uses imagery to characterize the setting of the novel as complex, historical, and powerful. While Cedartown may be unremarkable to outsiders, Aldrich’s novel brings the reader into the inside of all that is extraordinary about Cedartown.

“Old lady Deal flared up a little. ‘I’m no one period. I’ve lived with spinning-wheels and telephones…with tallow-dips and electric lights. I’m not antique. I’m just old. It represents me, doesn’t it?’”

This quote characterizes Abbie as wise, experienced, and spirited. Abbie’s life is a timeline of major moments in American history. Therefore, in her old age, Abbie herself is the physical symbol of American history. This positions Abbie early on in the novel as the hero of the story.

“And she is to need them both,—the physical attributes of the peasant and the mental ones of the aristocrat,—the warm heart of the Irish and the steadfastness of the Scotch. Yes, Abbie Mackenzie is to need them both in the eighty years she is to live,—courage and love,—a song upon her lips and a lantern in her hand.”

In this quote, Abbie is characterized by her family legacy. Born from two different but equally historic families, Abbie is the living embodiment of her mother’s Irish grit and her father’s Scottish refinement. Both sides of her family tree are formative to her character development. This quote also foreshadows future conflict and emphasizes that her ethnic and national heritage are precisely what will help her endure conflict and help to build America.