It’s said to represent a racehorse,” Sylvia said. “Making that final spurt, the last effort in a race. The rider, too—the boy—you can see that he’s urging the horse on to the limit of its strength.
It also might be representing Carla and Sylvia. Carla making that "final spurt" to get away from Clark, and Sylvia urging her on to and past her limit?
Sylvia had already mentioned Carla to Maggie, and to Soraya, her other friend there—telling them how the girl’s presence had come to mean more and more to her, how an indescribable bond had seemed to grow up between them, and had consoled her in the awful months of last spring
I just read Sarah Orne Jewett and her piece "Martha's Lady" in ENGL 2610 which deals with a similar relationship. We discussed homosocial relationships and 'Boston marriages' in class, which this reminded me of
It’s like the time before—that’s when I was in a daze.
Like Flora and how she seemed 'wiser' when she got away from Clark
in her fog of fright.
Matches the fog that Flora appears from later on
The way her parents behaved, they were practically guaranteeing it
Interesting. It seems like Carla sort of denies responsibility when she can. Like she doesn't want to face the truth in a way?
She was whistling something to herself, perhaps had been whistling the whole time
Reminds me of how she whistled/sang that song when running away from home to be with Clark, and now she's whistling a tune before deciding to run away again
Once or twice, Carla had burst out and done something really silly just to loosen up the atmosphere. The kind of thing she did when clumsy and terrified riders were feeling humiliated. She used to try it, too, when Clark was stuck in his moods. It didn’t work with him anymore. But the story about Mr. Jamieson had worked, decisively.
More good characterization of Carla through action and more than just telling what she's like. She tries to please everyone and make sure they're never in bad moods. She can't stand people being in bad moods, as shown earlier when she told Clark that she was crying because he was angry
Her refusal a necessity, but also, perhaps, strangely, slightly disappointing to Clark.
I wonder why this was slightly disappointing to Clark?
But when Sylvia put out her hand to do the same Flora immediately lowered her head as if preparing to butt.
Somewhat reflects on Carla and Sylvia, as Carla 'butts' Sylvia by siding with Clark in the end
Goats are unpredictable,” Clark said. “They can seem tame but they’re not really. Not after they grow up.”“Is she grown up? She looks so small.”“She’s as big as she’s ever going to get
Again, mirroring Carla. It's as if they could be talking about her
Don’t tell me what I am. You’re choking me. Go and get control of yourself. Start supper
This whole section of dialogue does a lot to characterize both Clark and Carla and their relationship
At first she had been Clark’s pet entirely, following him everywhere, dancing for his attention. She was as quick and graceful and provocative as a kitten, and her resemblance to a guileless girl in love had made them both laugh. But as she grew older she seemed to attach herself to Carla, and in this attachment she was suddenly much wiser, less skittish—she seemed capable, instead, of a subdued and ironic sort of humor
This mirrors Carla and her relationship with Clark, she ran away with him and followed him, but over time she became less attached and grew fond of another woman (Sylvia, in Carla's case), and when she was away from Clark, she was "wiser, less skittish"