About Author
Jesse Hilton Stuart (August 8, 1906-February 17, 1984) was a prominent American author. He was a dedicated school teacher and administrator. He worked in a variety of genres including short stories, poetry, novels, and non-fiction autobiographical pieces.
He was brought up in Greenup County, Kentucky. His writings often revolved around the rural setting of northeastern Kentucky and depicted the struggles and triumphs of the people living in this rural landscape.
Jesse Hilton Stuart was honored as the Poet Laureate of Kentucky in 1954 for his contribution to literature. This title was acknowledged not only by his talent as a writer but also by his ability to represent the cultural and historical richness of Kentucky through his literary works.
He served as a school teacher and administrator, further connecting with the communities he wrote about in his works. This dual role as an educator and writer allowed him to bridge the gap between academia and the authentic, lived experiences of the people he wrote about.
Jesse Hilton Stuart endures impactful contributions to American literature, especially his depictions of life in central Appalachia. His ability to blend storytelling with a deep understanding of the human condition makes him a significant figure in the cultural and literary history of Kentucky and the broader Appalachian region.
Summary
Clearing In the Sky is a quintessential short story that reflects a seventy-year-old man’s determination, good stamina, courage, and love for nature. Love of nature was a constant source of pleasure for him. Two men ( father and son) were talking to each other. The son being the writer tells all about his father’s constant climbing up the hill and growing the crops over there.
This story is an autobiography that begins with a dialogue between father and son. The father insisted on going to the highest place on the mountain despite his old age and deteriorating health. The father was showing that way how he used to go up the hills against his doctor’s advice.
The writer’s father was physically weak. He was seventy years old and was a cardiac patient. The doctor had forbidden him not to walk to the hilltop because of his serious disease. But he never paid any attention to the good advice of his doctor.
He was the sole earning source for his family but he did arduous work and neglected all care. He grew myriad vegetables and fruit on his land. He was a man of self-esteem, wilful, and was true to his duties and responsibilities.
The elderly man had pale blue eyes and a red-wrinkled face. While walking and climbing, he wiped his sweaty face with a handkerchief and always used a walking stick to avoid any untoward situation. He chose long ways to go up the hill to test his strength.
He selected farming because it was his craze and he knew all its ins and outs. He could easily distinguish between the fertile and the barren piece of land. Once, he explored a rare coffee plant in the area. He spent thirty years making his land fertile.
The author had visited his hilltop land many times except the last three or four years. Once, his father took the steep path and told his son that he was still strong and stout and was able to walk to the hilltop.
The old man felt quite active and spirited at the age of seventy. He planted his secret garden on the mountaintop, as the land was very fertile. He grew on his farm corn, beans, potatoes, and pumpkins. He wanted to taste yams and tomatoes grown on the hilltop.
He installed a fence around his field to save it from the stray animals. Despite his doctor’s advice, he did not stop climbing and walking down the mountains. He believes that the average life of every man in this world is seventy. At the age of seventy, a man gets back to his origin. That’s what the patriarch did follow.
The old man grew alfalfa for cows and horses on his farm. Rags and Scout were the names of his dogs. He would hunt down the squirrels. In short, the old man believed in the continuous struggle of life. He had a firm belief in God.
The story leaves us with a moral message that life is a constant strife. Those who strive are ever alive, satisfied, and spirited. We can keep ourselves active, alert, healthy, and happy if we continue to work hard. The story follows Hemingway’s theory of continuous struggle in life.
It offers the deepest reflection on human resilience, the relationship between man and nature, and the perpetual spirit of resoluteness. The narrative subtly conveys the father’s unwavering love for the land and his denial to yield to the limitations imposed on him by age or illness.
Characters of the story
Jess: The writer of the story who tells the audience his father’s determination and resilience when his father was medically unfit and could not go to a city block but did make a clearing patch in the sky.
Jess’s Father: A man of courage and resoluteness. At the age of seventy, he had strong will power forcing him to select the winding path to climb the tree and establish a farm on the top of the mountain.
Analysis of the story
When the story opens with the father and the son’s conversation, it presents perseverance and determination to the father. The father’s intention to continue farming and climbing the hill, despite his old age and his doctor’s advice, serves as the main theme of the story.
His persistence symbolizes the human’s ability to overcome obstacles and challenges and reflects a deep-rooted belief in the value of hard work and self-sufficiency. This theme resonates with Hemingway’s philosophy in (The Old Man and The Sea) of Life as a continuous struggle, where individuals must strive against the odds to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction.
The father’s connection to nature is evident in his careful cultivation of the land and his meticulous attention to farming. Farming becomes a metaphor for maintaining a connection to the earth.
The story throws light on the natural cycle of life, particularly in the father’s belief that at seventy, a man returns to his origin. This idea reflects the cyclical nature of life and death, with the father’s continued cultivation representing a desire to remain engaged in the cycle of growth and renewal.
The story’s moral message—that life is a constant struggle and that those who strive to remain alive, satisfied, and spirited, resonates deeply, offering readers a timeless lesson in perseverance and the value of hard work.
The Use of Literary Devices
Through this simple yet powerful story, the writer effectively utilizes multiple literary devices of symbolism, imagery, and irony to emphasize the themes of persistence, self-reliance, and the innate bond of humans with the natural world.
Symbolism
I could not protest to him now. He had made up his mind. When he made up his mind to do a thing, he would do it if he had to crawl.
The hilltop where the man cultivates offers a powerful symbol of aspiration, endurance, and achievement. Climbing the hill represents a physical challenge and an enthusiastic ascent to reach one’s goals despite health limitations.
The fertile land on the hill symbolizes the rewards of hard work and growth potential while planting and harvesting reflect the father’s continued vitality and purpose.
Dialogue
The dialogue between the father and son reveals the father’s character, values, motivations, and the son’s straightforward and inquisitive nature. Through their conversations, readers gain insight into determination, views on life, and deep connection to the land.
Imagery
The description of the father’s physical appearance, the landscape, and the farming process is an example of vivid imagery. The author’s father’s pale blue eyes and a red-wrinkled face and his use of a walking stick create a picture of a man who has weathered the passage of time but remains steadfast in his resolve.
Irony
There is a subtle irony in the father’s defiance of his doctor’s orders. Despite being a cardiac patient, he continues to exert himself physically, defying the conventional wisdom that suggests rest and caution. This irony underscores the father’s belief that life should be lived fully, regardless of age or health, and that true fulfillment comes from following one’s passions.
Restroprect / Flashback
Remember when we used to come here to hunt for squirrels? Remember when we sat beneath these hickories and the squirrels threw green hickory shells down at us?
The writer uses retrospect when he says that his father remembers the old days. A flashback is generally applied to refer to looking back on past events. A flashback reveals the character’s history, motivation, and important past events.
How our hounds, Rags, and Scout, would make the rabbits circle! These were good days, Jess! That’s why I remember this mountain.
Questions / Answers
Why didn’t the old man follow the advice of the doctors?
The old man did not follow the advice of the doctors for rest because he was an industrious man and wanted to work a lot on his lands. He wanted to work hard to bring up his family. So he faced his disease boldly and did not care for the advice of doctors.
What did the doctors tell the old man?
The doctors advised the old man not to walk on foot. They always advised him to hire a taxi to cover up even the shortest distance. They also advised him to enjoy his life and spend his time with his family.
Where did the old man take his son?
The old man took his son to the mountain top where he had planted his secret garden and cleared the land. He planted potatoes, yams, and tomatoes there. This was the area of three-fourths of an acre.
Had the son ever been there before?
Yes, the son had visited the place many times with his parents but he had not visited this land for the last three or four years.
What were the names of the vegetables the old man grew on his farm?
Corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and pumpkins were the vegetables the old man grew on his farm.
Why did the old man take the steep path?
The old man took the steep path to tell his son that he was still strong and was able enough to walk to the hilltop. The old (توانا) and stout man was a man of willpower and determination. He also wanted to show his son that he was still energetic and healthy.
Why had the son at the age of six cried?
The son cried at the age of six because he had lost the little wooden plough given to him by his father. Although his father made other plough for him but he never loved the second one as he loved the first one.
What were the feelings of the old man at the age of seventy?
At the age of seventy, the old man knew that his time was now borrowed. He wanted to return to his past. He wanted to work again and taste yams, potatoes, tomatoes, and grain in his secret garden.
Why had the old man planted his secret garden?
The old man wanted to plant his secret garden because he thought that the land on the mountain top was more fertile and the vegetables grown there would be of better taste. He wanted to taste these vegetables. Moreover, his family would not have allowed him to plant this garden openly. So, he did it without being noticed by his family.
Describe the physical appearance of the old man.
The old man is seventy. He is weak and has a stick with him to walk. He has a red wrinkled face. He also has a blue big banadaną. He is wilful by nature.
How did the old man feel about the land?
The land reminded him of the old pleasant days when he used to come here to hunt down squirrels. The old man would go to his land for having fresh morning air. Thus the land is a symbol of Nature for which the old man has a great love.
What did the son remember from his childhood? Were these good memories?
The son remembered the days when his parents used to plough when his the land. He also remembered an account father made him a little wooden plough. He lost his plough and cried so much until his father made him a new one. But he never loved the second plough as he did the first one. These were good memories.
Give the story in your own words.
This is the story of an old man who was advised to live the remaining days of his life with his family. He was ill but he was a man of determination and will power. He was advised by the doctors not to walk even the length of a single city block. He worked hard and proved his doctors wrong. He planted a secret garden on the top of the land.
What is the moral lesson of the story (Central idea of the Story)?
The story teaches us that life is an action. We should face the hardships of life with courage and determination. The story also shows man’s love for nature.
About the Author
