Blackberry Winter Study Guide

Blackberry Winter, written by Robert Penn Warren, tells the story of a young boy who grows up on a Tobacco farm in Tennessee. Seth, the story's narrator, describes the summer of 1910, when he was nine years old. The story is written in first person narration, as Seth recalls his own history. As the story begins, young Seth is warming his feet by the fire. Even though it is June, the temperature is chilly. There county is experiencing what Seth's mother calls blackberry winter, a brief cold spell amidst otherwise warm weather. In spite of the cold, Seth has ventured outside without shoes or socks. Seth's mother had warned him that he needed to wear shoes but he tried to sneak by her. While Seth warms his feet, after being caught by his mother, the young boy insists that he doesn't need shoes because it's June. (read more)