out cold and desolate and by the end of the book it is spring again. After a time they turned east onto the gravel country road and then onto the track which led back to the old house with the rusted hogwire strung around it and the stunted elm trees standing up leafless inside the rusted wire. (125). In this line the fence represents the emotional wall that the brothers have erected to keep everyone out. Then Victoria comes and gives their house homey touches and they realize that they cant keep everyone out forever. Now the wind started up in the trees, high up, moving the high branches. The barn swallows came out and began to hunt leaf-bugs and lacewinged flies in the dusk. The air grew soft. (301).Environment is the one thing that binds all of these characters together. They move about their separate lives, separate problems but it all comes down to the nature that surrounds them all....
