Chapter 20: Spirits Of Crows, Dancing

1a. The tittle of the chapter, Spirits of crows, dancing, refers to what Inman saw in his last minutes alive. The spirits of crows dancing foreshadow Inman’s death.
     The next morning they wake up. They start talking about the war and Inman tells her he doesn’t want to go back. Ada tells him that she doesn’t want him to hide because it’s dangerous. They finally reach an agreement and decide that he should walk north and surrender to the federal army. They both promise to each other to stay faithful to the future. Stobrod is fine and healed. Ada and Ruby leave for Black Cove. Inman and Stobrod follow them later. When they pass Pangle’s grave, Stobrod remembers his friend and gets sad. As they continue their journey they hear noises behind them. It’s Teague, a boy, and some other men. Inman hits Ada’s horse with Stobrod on top to get him out of danger. Inman shoots two of the men, and the boy escapes into the woods. Teague then threatens Inman with a knife then Inman shoots him. Inman then find the boy behind a tree. The boy, named Birch ,tells Inman that if they both live he will come for him. Birch falls on the ground and Inman tells him to put his gun down, but Birch shoots Inman. Ada hears the gunshots and rushes back to Inman. She finds him on the ground and holds him in her lap, as he dies, Inman has visions of crows and all the seasons blended together.

1b. Author's Style: In this chapter, the author uses simile, and imagery.
      Simile: "When Ada disappeared into the trees, it was like a part of the richness of the world had gone with her." The author uses this simile to show the reader how much Ada meant to Iinman. Frazier compares Ada's with part of the richness of the world.
      Simile: "The boy looked at him and his blue eyes were empty as a round of ice frozen on a bucket top" The author uses this simile to show how cold the boy's stare was by comparing it to ice frozen on a bucket top.

      Imagery: "They passed by Pangle's grave, and it lay in the shade on the north slope, and the snow still covered it almost up to the lashed joint of Ada's locust cross. " This imagery enables the reader to visualize Pangle's grave.

1c. Historical Context: “Short-handed as they were, he would be received with open arms and then immediately be put back in the muddy trenches of Petersburg, where he would try to keep his head down and hope for an early end.” This statement matches the time period of the book, 1864, because during this time the siege of Petersburg was still taking place in Virginia. According to my source The Siege of Petersburg was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War.

2a. Inman in this chapter feels liberated from his past as he starts thinking about a future with Ada. The crows he sees at the very end seem to represent Inmans sadness and independence of his soul.

2b. Birch seems to be numbed by all the violence he has seen throughout his life. It is ironic and pathetic that even though Inman is a strong man, who has defeated more than one federal, is killed in the hands of a traumatized boy such as Birch.

3b.