The tone of the story is filled with pain, anger and a quest for vengeance. The twisted white sheets represented the dominance of the whites over the blacks. Whereas slavery had ended, the blacks were still considered inferior to the whites. The author used these words to describe Johnson’s status in society.

Additionally, the huckleberry is a shrub that grows in the northern part of the country. Winding sheets are used to wrap a corpse. Whereas the statement was meant to describe Johnson’s body in the twisted sheets, he protested. Additionally, Mae uses a simile when she refers to her husband as huckleberry in a winding sheet. For example, the author uses the white sheets to contrast with the color of Johnson’s skin, which is black. The author introduces literary elements that include figures of speech, tone, and imagery. She always teased her husband and restored happiness in the family. He considered women weaker and unable to fight back. Additionally, the author claims that Johnson had established a personal code of never hitting a woman. Despite his calm character, he was having problems with his legs because of prolonged standing periods at work. He had planned to surprise his wife by preparing breakfast but he was too tired, he overslept. The author portrays Johnson as a peaceful and loving husband. The story starts when the couple wakes up in preparation for their night shift. In the short story, Like a Winding Sheet, the author describes the life of Johnson and Mae, an African American couple working as casual laborers for white employers. The short story, Like a winding sheet in 1946 was one of her best selling collections. She started her writing career in her late teens and proceeded to work as an apprentice to two journalism firms. Learn More Like a Winding Sheet by Ann Petry: Biographical InformationĪnn Petry was born in 1911 in Connecticut to a middle-class family.

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