Kent Haruf was born and raised on the north east plains of Colorado and attended Nebraska Weslegan University and The University of Iowa. After he graduated he owned a chicken ranch in Colorado, work at the Royal Gorge Bridge and was in the peace corps before he settled down to teach at the University of Iowa. He has had much experience in small town life, which is why his book, Plainsong is so beautifully written. Haruf has first hand experience in the gossip, drama and change, which is so present in Plainsong. Change, and the parallels in the environment are the principal themes in this story. Everyone is touched by it and affected by the change in everyone elses lives that happen around them.Guthrie and Ellas relationship is breaking up and Ella has desended into a horrible depression. She never leaves her room and rarely talks. Guthrie tries to get her out of her mental prison, but to no avail. Looking at her, he couldnt say if she was asleep or not, but he believed she was not. He believed she was only waiting to hear what he had come in for, and then for him to leave. (6). This line shows that Ella doesnt want to come out of her depressed state, that shes not ready. When Ike and Bobbie come in to talk to her, however, she does speak to them. What time is it? They looked at the clock on the dresser. Quarter of eight, Ike said. You better go. You dont want to be late. She smiled a little and reacheda hand toward them. Will you each give me a kiss first? (13)Her attitude differences to Ike and Bobby and Guthrie are also reflected in her environment. Her cool feelings toward Guthrie are shown in the atmosphere in her room, when he is in it. He stood listening but there was no sound from inside. When he stepped into the room it was almost dark, with a feeling of being hushed and forbidding as in the sanctuary of an empty church after the funeral of a woman who has died too soon, a sudden impression of static air an...
