2. The Seasons: The seasons are the most prominent symbol in the story. In the summer the relationship flourishes, in the fall it slowly dies which leads to it being nonexistent in the winter until it finally begins to grow in the spring. The seasons are a metaphor for change within the relationship. Within the first few paragraphs a reference to the seasons is made; “That first summer, working together in the cannery, I lived in my tent and you lived in your van”. The summer signifies positive growth within the friendship. In the fall the friendship is slowly dying, “Now that the cold has come, causing the country to lie down and curl up around itself, it’s easier to get through here” this indicates that things are slowing down. Nancy Lord then reminisces about the good times she had with her friend during the past season.
3. The Potatoes: The potatoes initially symbolize the strength of the friendship; nearing the end of the story they signify the ultimate loss of the friendship. The first reference, “I helped you dig potatoes when the plants lay limp over the hills and the soil was cold in our hands; they were small that year, the season short. Perfect for boiling, you said, content with what you had” this indicates the relationship is strong and both women are satisfied. The last reference to potatoes, “but I know now that you’ll never be so satisfied again with small potatoes.” This indicates that her friend cannot be satisfied any longer, living in Alaska.
In the first couple paragraphs Nancy Lord explains that she had always wanted to move somewhere that would be interesting “when I came to Alaska, it was with the sure knowledge that here there were places, truly, no one had stepped”. Nancy Lord explains that her friend, whom she met in Alaska, felt the same, “you said it was the same for you, growing up in the Midwest”. Both women were motivated to move to Alaska because it was new to them, not highly populated, and exciting. In the beginning the friendship was strong, and very intense. The two women hiked together, picked chamomile for tea, and “we agreed we both wanted to be birds in our next lives”.
The summer then lead into the fall, and it became apparent that the friendship is become more distant. Her friend moves back to anchorage, and as this quote indicates her visits to Alaska were becoming more infrequent, “your list is different from the rest of ours, now that you come only on an occasional weekend. Nancy Lord indicates that her friend moved because of a job opportunity, yet planned to be in Alaska very often, as it was her ‘real home’, yet a quote in the story indicates the slow change in the friendship as well as motivation in moving to anchorage, “every trip you take away more, emptying the house of those thing that make it most yours. Load by load, you’re moving away.”
This story is about a friendship that seems to flow with the seasons. It is intense in the summer and slows down during the fall and winter. This story reveals that friendships are often unpredictable like the seasons it often does. Nancy Lord and her friend, in the beginning, found a connection through the desire to escape to a life les complicated and more exciting. In Alaska the friendship flourished. Once Nancy’s friend moved back to anchorage, the relationship changed. This story provides insight into a relationship that many people can relate too; it reveals the beginning and the end of a friendship that was based on a common interest at one point in their lives.
