Setting

Physical setting

The short story “A Raven Flies South” by Gord Bruyere takes place in the town of Coquitlam, Canada. There is a reference to the Coquitlam hills and the Colony Farm, which was once a productive working farm, and is now a habitat for many animal and bird species. The story takes place on a morning in November (p. 21, l. 1). 

The detailed description of the environment at the beginning, with a focus on the sky and the raven, evokes the feeling of a wide, open space and the freedom which comes with being able to move freely (p. 21, ll. 1-8). The connection between the environment and the main character is established from the very beginning: “His name is Raven too. (…) Like his namesake, the morning thrills him” (p. 21, ll. 12-15). While the raven is free to ...