The Milton Character Analysis

Character:
The main character is an elderly man by the name of Milton. Milton owns a quiet, secluded country home and equipped garden, near the shore. He lives a simple yet solemn life, spending a lot of time tending to his plants and being with nature. Travellers have stopped coming to visit and Milton is often alone.
The supporting character is Pearl, a woman in her mid 20’s, who arrives at the house and to tend to the garden. She seems to be a new helping hand, as she doesn’t seem to know Milton well or his equipment. Milton’s goal seems to be very broad, to try to find meaning in his life whilst making sure his belongings/garden are taken care of. For Pearl, her goal seems to be to follow Milton’s instruction, to connect with nature
With such a unique setting established in the beginning, the story becomes equal parts about the characters and the nature. There does not appear to be much at stake, just peculiar happenings and hallucinatory sequences among relaxing nature, which is actually quite enjoyable.
The metaphoric nature of the story was also interesting, in that it makes the reader think and try to understand what is unfolding; though, at times, the story becomes slightly too abstract and it gets a little lost on the reader (for example, the plant speaking).
The slow pacing of this story was also very pleasant. Something about the subtle action made the story unfold very
The setting is established instantly and creates a mood for the whole of the story. Milton’s estate, garden, and time on the shore are described with such vivid detail that a life-life visual appears in the reader’s mind; however, the scene descriptions do get a little redundant and “prose”-esque after a while. There are a few moments that describe what we cannot directly see, and once established, there are a few things that do not need to be described in great detail twice.
Pearl’s time in the pump house, for example, is a little over described with regards to her movements, particularly when she is burning the beans. The action description gets a little muddy; perhaps it can be split up into smaller paragraphs to highlight key motions.
As for character descriptions, perhaps Milton could be described in a little more detail other than just elderly. Adding little details to his character might help in establishing who he is, and why he is out, alone, tending to his garden with such severity. Pearl could be described a little more as well, this might help to establish whom she is/why she is there and clear up confusion when reading.