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"...the curved length of the traiiler".

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chowhound:
I was reading the opening of the short story earlier today and paused at this sentence:

"The wind booms down the curved length of the trailer and under its roaring passage he [Ennis] can hear the scratching of fine gravel and sand."

What does "curved" in this sentence actually mean or suggest? I assume it's not suggesting that trailer was "curved", is it? Is it suggesting that the walls were straight but the roof is "curved". Or is it something painfully straightforward and obvious which I am clearly overlooking when I have difficulty trying to picture "the curved length of the trailer"?

Shakesthecoffecan:
I have envisioned something like this:

Jeff Wrangler:

--- Quote from: chowhound on September 27, 2011, 02:31:23 pm ---I was reading the opening of the short story earlier today and paused at this sentence:

"The wind booms down the curved length of the trailer and under its roaring passage he [Ennis] can hear the scratching of fine gravel and sand."

What does "curved" in this sentence actually mean or suggest? I assume it's not suggesting that trailer was "curved", is it? Is it suggesting that the walls were straight but the roof is "curved". Or is it something painfully straightforward and obvious which I am clearly overlooking when I have difficulty trying to picture "the curved length of the trailer"?

--- End quote ---

I've taken and understood that as indicating that the sides of the trailer are curved like the sides of an old Airstream travel trailer. In fact, I've understood this whole description as meaning that in the story, Ennis is living in an old, unused travel trailer, not what is used in the film (where I grew up in Central Pennsylvania people call what we see in the movie a "house trailer"). A lot of small travel trailers didn't have bathrooms (maybe they still don't), and this is why I've understood that Ennis pees in the sink--because the trailer doesn't have a bathroom, and otherwise he'd have to put on his clothes and boots and go out to use an outhouse.

Edit to add:

Check out this link:

http://www.airstream.com/products/travel-trailers/index.html

If you look at the image of the Sport model in particular, you can see that the sides are curved. That's the image that I take from Annie's prose.

Penthesilea:
I'm with Jeff. I also took the "curved length" literally. Old trailers often were egg-shaped, their length was indeed curved.

chowhound:
Thanks, Shakes..., Jeff and Penthesilea for your help. The illustrations you provided certainly made it easier for me to picture what the "curved length" of Ennis's trailer probably looked like.

I agree, too, that it is likely that Ennis's trailer is an older model both from its shape and its lack of bathroom facilities. We don't know the exact date of when Ennis had to leave but from "the grey wedge of belly and pubic hair" I assume it could be up to twenty years after Jack's death and therefore could have been as late as the end of the nineties or even just into the present century. By then, this type of trailer might well look out of date and old fashioned.

I assume, too, that the trailer belonged to the ranch and may well have been included in the upcoming sale. This would explain why Ennis had to be "packed and away from the place that morning." I imagine Ennis would have lived there either rent free or for a very small rent.

Obviously he didn't own it otherwise he would have taken it with him when he left. I wonder if Ennis ever owned any property or accommodation. Probably not though there seems some form of pride of ownership when he puts the number 17 on his new mail box towards the very end of the movie.  

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