Summary and Analysis
Book III:
Chapter 4
Summary
Adams indulges his fantasy as to the possible identity of Wilson's lost son, but Wilson asserts that he would know him among ten thousand, as he has a strawberry-shaped birthmark on the left side of his chest. Wilson then takes Adams and Joseph outside to show them his garden, where he now spends much of his time, and tells them of his present, peaceful way of life. Both the bliss which Wilson experiences in his family and in tending his garden contrast strongly with his earlier life. But the needless shooting of his daughter's favorite dog shows that the harsh outside world does impinge even on this haven of happiness.