sly an educated man of solemn disposition while Simon Wheeler is a “good ole boy”. If given these two people, most would assume that Wheeler is an idiot because of the way he speaks. He told this unbelievable tale and “He never smiled, he never frowned”(184). Simon Wheeler completely controlled the conversation with this “intelligent” city man and one never knows if he actually believes what he is saying or if he is just pulling this guys leg. This humorous use of the vernacular shows a funny side to life, just as the downtrodden language in Garland’s Under the Lion’s Paw shows how unfair life could really be."Under the Lion's Paw" imaginatively depicts Garland's compassion for the oppressed tenant farmer of the time. Garland presents the farmer in all of his true colors. This is a story of “Herculean toil” that does not seem to pay off. At the beginning of the story, Garland introduced us to Council, who was plowing his fields in the harsh elements and still “…whistled in the very beard of the gale” (756). As Council returned from the fields, he encountered Mr. Haskins for the first time. Haskins told him that he and his family would, “like t’ git in f’r the night” (757). In using this type of dialogue, Garland made us aware that these are country folk and perhaps makes us think that he is ignorant or one of the “bad” guys. You also get the feeling of hopelessness after just a few lines of his Haskins’ speech. Mr. and Mrs. Council took the Haskins in, fed the children, and offered the adults a glimmer of hope. Council introduced Haskins to a landowner named Butler with the warning, “You jest let me do the talkin’…if he thought you wanted a place he’d sock it to you hot and heavy…” (760). We are told that Butler is considered”one of the leading land owners of the c...
