Title of Story: The Lamp at Noon Author: Sinclair Ross Quotation analysis Title of Essay: Conserving Energy- The Lamp at Noon

<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. …

…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.