The impression after reading "The Grave" was one of solemnity and sadness. The passage frequently uses the death archetype - in the title, the introduction, and even in the innocent adventure of two happy children. By titling the passage "The Grave" and starting off with, "The grandfather, dead for more than thirty years...", Porter sets death right in the foreground and palls the atmosphere of the passage with an irreversible gloom (362). When Miranda and her brother jump into the empty graves and find their treasures, Porter revisits the image of death. After the two kids made their trade of treasures, Porter describes the ring on Miranda's thumb, saying "it fitted perfectly" (363). The aforementioned quote provokes a though that asks "Who had previously worn that gold ring"." The perfect fit of the ring thus gives the notion that perhaps it is not a coincidence in Porter's writing - it...