Chapter 3 The Serpents of Paradise Summary and Analysis

The desert becomes very windy in April. Dust devils spiral and fall apart shortly before the howling wind kicks up dust storms full of debris and sand at velocities strong enough to pit windshields. Abbey stays indoors and continues writing his letter to himself, meaning his journal.

He enjoys the morning hours when the birds make their songs. He can identify pinion jays, canyon wrens, ravens and mourning doves. While thinking about the birds, he falls into anthropomorphisms and writes about how this is inappropriate.

In the early morning Abbey sits on his doorstep, his feet unshod. He notices a Faded Midget rattlesnake coiled in the cold shade. His first thought is to kill the rattler, but he abandons the urge after remembering his duties as a park ranger—to protect all...