“Uneven banks of snow still lined the sidewalks, though it was warm enough for people to walk about without hats or gloves. Nearly three feet had fallen in the last storm, so that for a week people had to walk single file, in narrow trenches.”

This quote sets the scene near the beginning of the story as a snowy winter in Boston. A large storm has dropped three feet of snow onto the sidewalks, but a brief warm spell has melted the snow so people can barely walk. The image of people walking single file gives the impression of an oppressive winter season. It also gives an external reason for Shukumar’s behavior since he doesn’t leave the house often.

“By the end of August there was a cherry crib under the window, a white changing table with mint-green knobs, and a rocking chair with checkered cushions. Shukumar had disassembled it all before bringing Shoba back from the hospital, scraping off the rabbits and ducks with a spatula.”

This vivid portrait of the elements of the nursery comes after the description of the baby’s death. Shukumar has turned the would-be nursery into a study after the tragedy. When Shoba was still pregnant, the nursery had been filled with colorful and happy elements, but now, those elements have been removed, and the wallpaper has been roughly scraped off with a spatula. This contrast is symbolic of the change in atmosphere in the house after the death of the baby.

“Even though the plant was inches from the tap, the soil was so dry that he had to water it first before the candles would stand straight. He pushed aside the things on the kitchen table, the piles of mail, the unread library books.”

To light the candles for dinner on the first night, Shukumar must deal with the plant by the kitchen sink and the piles of mail and books on the counter. All these elements suggest neglect because the plant has not been watered, the mail has not been sorted, and the library books are unread. The neglect in the house is palpable, and nothing in the physical space is untouched by the oppressive sense of grief and loss.

“It seemed strange to be sitting outside with patches of snow still on the ground. But everyone was out of their houses tonight, the air fresh enough to make people restless. Screen doors opened and closed. A small parade of neighbors passed by with flashlights.”

Despite the cold season, Shukumar and Shoba sit outside on the porch on the second night of the power outages. There is a sense of hopefulness on this second night because the couple’s rounds of confessions are still light and innocent. Still, the warmth in the midst of such a cold season seems odd to Shukumar. The dissonance of the changing seasons mirrors the warmth of the newfound connection the couple has found in the midst of this difficult period in their marriage.