Setting

Physical setting

The events presented in “The Death of Tommy Grimes” by R.J. Meaddough, III take place in the US. The story mentions the state of Mississippi (p. 4, l. 34) and Colliersville (p. 2, l. 2), a town in Tennessee. The story was written in 1962, but the events take place sometime in the past, when African Americans were still slaves and did forced labor.

The first place that the narrative focuses on is the woods where Tommy and his father go out hunting. The woods are described through Tommy’s perspective in the first lines of the story (p. 1, ll. 1-3). The forest is also described by Tom Grimes, when he comes home drunk. The man displays admiration for nature, which shows that he respects it (p. 2, ll. 24-28). However, Tom Grimes’ respect for the living forest turns out to be somewhat ironic, considering his disrespectful attitude towards human lives. 

Furthermore, the forest setting symbolizes the change that is going to take place in Tommy’s life: “The sunlight was duller, almost disappearing and he felt a chill again as he had before the sun came up. And the silence somehow nettled him… the silence!” (p. 3, ll. 14-16). Forests are traditionally a symbol of transformation in a story, and these lines sup...