<Tab/>Ross infuses irony into the last page of "The Lamp At Noon" to convey the fatality of the single-minded. Set in the era of the Great Depression, Ross's short story emphasizes one couple's conflicting attitudes regarding the best interests of their child. Paul, a proud and obstinate farmer raised on family soil, is convinced that his son should grow up feeling the same pride which comes from owning the land. …showed first 75 words of 858 total…

…showed last 75 words of 858 total…and Paul both believed that they were working for their baby's best interests; yet both of them were so focused on attaining their own goals that they inadvertently left their child uncared for. The couple's single-minded concern for their son's future deprived him of the attention and warmth that a rosy baby requires. In the heat of Ellen and Paul's senseless battles over the best interests of their son, he died "quite cold" and unnoticed.