POINT OF VIEW

The author tells the story from Grant’s point of view, since the narrator follows him around throughout the entire story, and the reader sees and hears the same things as Grant does. Therefore, we never know what happens in the nursing home unless he goes there to visit his wife. The narrator only mentions the relationship between Fiona and Aubrey once Grant sees them playing cards together.

Here’s an instance of Free Indirect Discourse: “The new notes were different. Stuck onto the kitchen drawers—Cutlery, Dish-towels, Knives. Couldn’t she just open the drawers and see what was inside?” The last sentence appears to be a question that the narrator is asking, when in fact it’s a question that Grant asks to himself.

Gonzalo Santiago Salinardi

DNI 30832618

CHARACTERS

There are two main characters in the story, whose tempers are quite opposite from one another. On the one hand, Fiona is a strong-willed, independent woman who doesn’t care about politics nor groups. Furthermore, she constantly rejected men in her youth and proposed to his boyfriend instead of waiting for him to do the same. On the other hand, Grant is depicted as a quiet, mild-mannered university professor who’s so frustrated with his own boring life that he needs to spice it up by cheating on Fiona with his own students.

Gonzalo Santiago Salinardi

DNI 30832618

SETTING

The story takes place in Georgian Bay, which is a large bay located in the rural area of Ontario, Canada. Grant and Fiona moved to her grandparents’ home after his infidelities. Then there’s Meadowlake, an assisted living facility for the elderly located near Fiona and Grant’s home, where Fiona checks in due to mental deterioration. The weather plays a significant role in the story, because temperatures in Canada tend to be extremely cold, especially during the winter, which acts as a metaphor for Fiona’s deteriorating mental health in her late age. It’s also worth noting that she is from Icelandic descent and that Scandinavian country is also known for its low temperatures. Finally, the most important moments in her life, such as her proposing to John and her being checked into an assisted living facility, occur under a cold weather.

Gonzalo Santiago Salinardi DNI 30832618

THEMES AND TITLE

The author covers various themes in her story, namely mental deterioration and how people cope with it, as well as marital infidelity. The title itself is quite ambiguous and might be referring to many things. Bears are known to hibernate in caves during the winter and come down from the mountains to gather food once the season is over. In my opinion, the cave acts out as a metaphor for Fiona’s fragile state of mind, which has an ephemeral moment of clarity only at the end of the story when she briefly recognizes her husband. Therefore, I assume that she managed to leave the darkness of her mental cave behind for a few moments and step into the sunlight.

Gonzalo Santiago Salinardi DNI 30832618