deer

The deer is a wild animal encountered by Eileen Dunlop on a snow-covered road after she leaves X-ville. Its brief, independent presence interrupts her flight and marks a turning point in the scene: after the animal moves on, Eileen cries and resumes walking alone.

Appearance and Encounter

On a northbound highway, a bend in the road brings Eileen upon a deer standing a few yards ahead. She slows, pulls over, and rolls the car window back up. The deer remains still and looks directly at her. Eileen leaves Rita Polk asleep in the running Dodge car by the roadside, says goodbye to the car, and approaches the animal with one hand raised in greeting.

The encounter is nonverbal. Eileen perceives the deer as startled but kind, and its antlers and dark eyes hold her attention. It does not approach or follow her; after a pause, it trots down the embankment and into the woods.

Aftermath and Narrative Significance

Once the deer has gone, Eileen cries and continues through the frozen snow on foot. A few miles farther on, she hitches a ride heading south and tells the driver she has had a fight with her mother. The encounter thus precedes her transition from driving away to proceeding on foot, but the deer does not guide or accompany her.

The scene remains anchored in Eileen’s perception: the deer’s stillness, gaze, and departure are narrated as an encounter with an animal that acts on its own rather than as a participant in conversation. Its presence briefly interrupts the escape narrative without resolving it; Eileen must continue after the deer has vanished into the woods.