When comparing works of the same author, especially in the same media, you can learn much about that author’s style, characterization, bias and even background. Alistair MacLeod presents many similarities in his short stories, including a love for Eastern Canada, which can be based on his background of living in Cape Breton on a family farm. It is easier to give a more informed critical assessment of an author’s work if you have …showed first 75 words of 1376 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1376 total…to be more developed in some cases. For example “The Return” skips from the first day and a half of the vacation to its end, two weeks later. And “The Lost Salt Gift of Blood” ends abruptly without a feeling of completion. Overall my personal favourite of the three was “The Return” for its narrative voice and character development, but all three stories are enjoyable if you take the time to analyze and re-examine them.