Like a Winding Sheet

Juxtaposition occurs throughout the story in key places. When Mae describes Johnson as a “huckleberry” enmeshed in the white winding sheet, Petry’s imagery contributes to a very stark contrast. The very dark image of the huckleberry contrasts with the white, pale sheet, creating a notable dissonance between the two shades and representing the broader dissonance that Johnson feels as a Black man in a white-dominated society. Juxtaposition of colors also occurs when Mrs. Scott and the girl serving coffee are described with a keen focus on their bright red lips. The contrast between their skin and their vibrant, painted-on lipstick augments the terror of the violent imagery that arises when Johnson wants to “smear” their red lipstick across their faces.

The story’s point-of-view is significant, as Johnson is a very dynamic and complicated character. Johnson shifts from the protagonist who refuses to hit women to an antagonist who beats his wife. This dramatic shift and concluding display of violence is especially intense because of the