Cicadas

Cicadas appear in a brief but sharply physical summer scene in Baker County, where their size and persistent rattling become part of the oppressive heat surrounding Charlie Croker. Their sound gives the landscape an insistent presence and helps convey the strain of his arrival at Turpmtine.

Appearance and Seasonal Setting

The cicadas are described as large for insects, with some reaching an inch and a half in length, and as ugly as well as noisy. In June, when the sun reaches its zenith, they descend on the trees and begin rattling. Their presence is tied to a particular season and hour: the height of a Baker County summer day.

Sound and Its Physical Effect

The cicadas’ racket is more than background noise. Charlie cannot get its vibrations out of his eardrums, making the insect chorus feel almost bodily. The scene places that sound alongside the heat and the flies and gnats after him; together, these conditions leave him feeling as though he is seeing the monkey, an expression the field hands used for the effect of the June heat.

Narrative Significance

The cicadas help turn the outdoor setting into a source of immediate pressure rather than picturesque scenery. Their rattling recurs as a seasonal condition, while Charlie’s response makes it part of the scene’s account of his discomfort. The contrast between the insects’ ordinary summer activity and the intensity of his reaction connects the natural environment to his physical vulnerability in the moment.