Response to "Snow" by Anne Beattie

The way that Beattie structures this story is very interesting. I really like how the story is told through flashbacks and memories. There are a lot of events that the narrator recalls, ranging from the country house, to the winter, to the snow, to the chipmunk, to the death of Allen, to the purple grape, etc. Each of these memories are associated with who she is addressing this story to, her lover, and each evoke the compassion and romantic feelings that she had (and perhaps still has) for him.

The chipmunk is the detail in the story that stands out the most to me. The chipmunk is present in the beginning of the story when the narrator is sharing her perspective and her memories of the relationship. Then, it pops up again when the narrator is explaining her lover's perspective of their relationship and how he remembers the events differently, except this time, the chipmunk is running away to hide in the dark, to find a door to escape. I believe that the chipmunk is a symbol for the narrator. In the beginning, during the narrator's perspective, the chipmunk runs through the house and all the locations that she and her lover have powerful memories in, such as the library, and the living room. During her lover's perspective, the chipmunk is running away to hide, and this simple act shows that their love is falling apart and she is running away to escape this relationship.

What's interesting about the ending of the piece is that the author breaks the fourth wall by summarizing her work of fiction to the readers, "This is a story... Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent a winter with her lover in the country." She even admits why she calls the story "Snow," because that's all she remembers about that winter; when she says the word 'snow,' "her lips move so fast that they kiss the air." Perhaps the snow represents her cold, broken heart, and despite their tumultuous relationship, the narrator's continuous strong desire to be with this man.

In the final paragraph of the story, the narrator mentions a snowplow, and how it was a detail of both her memories and her lover's memories that was left out, even though it was always there.  My question is, what do you think the snowplow is symbolizing?