Question

We both shifted around and watched where the sun had gone down. “You see what happens when the sun goes down?” He pointed to the evening star and motioned toward the other stars that had appeared in the east. “When the daddy goes to bed, all the little children come out.” His teeth gleamed in the gathering darkness, and I smiled, too. In at least one hundred words, explain how Joe Willow’s comments reflect the themes of the story.

Answer 1

The given excerpt has been taken from the short story "The Passing" by Durango Mendoza. The short story explores the themes of loss of innocence, death and afterlife.

In the line “When the daddy goes to bed, all the little children come out,” Joe Willow describes the sun as "daddy" and the "little children" as stars. He describes how these celestial bodies relate to life and death. The given excerpt further expresses the themes of loss of innocence and mortality.

In Joe Willow’s comments, the setting of the sun has been used as a metaphor for death. The line “When the daddy goes to bed, all the little children come out” means that a person only truly grows up and matures when they experience the death of a loved one.