Winnesaw

Circus in Winter Reflection:

This is by far the most sorrowful story of Cathy Day's that we have read to date. The devastation wrecked by the flood is unimaginable and to know that it was a real event makes it that much worse. Her decriptions bring to light the helplessness that comes in natural disasters and the way in which it brings people together.
The overwhelming sorrow is part of the tone of the story and Day accomplishes it by viewing the entire scene through one family's perspective. This makes the action more personal than just describing the events would have.
The ending of the story reflects back on the skeletons that were left afterwards and in a way it talks about the fact that no one's skeletons ever stay buried forever.