The story takes place in Iowa where the narrator moved to study at age ten. He fell in love with the land which ironically is one of the major points in this short story. Through one single voice saying, " 'If you build it, he will come,' "(pg 1), he envisions a baseball field. He takes the land he loves and uses it for something that he has complete faith in. Had it not been for the farm and land he owned, he probably would not have had the same vision, let alone a vision at all. I believe that because of his love of baseball and the beautiful soils of Iowa that this calling was so clear to him.
Point of View
This story was written in first person which I feel is important to the point of this short story. Without the author's detailed recollections of his father's obsessions with baseball, the story would fail to convey this man's complete faith in what he loves. For example, he recalls how instead of hearing common fairy tales such as, "Tom Thumb or Rumpelstiltskin,"(pg 4), he was raised on the hero tales of famous baseball players from the early 1900s. This also contributes to his vast understanding of the game that he fell in love with at such a young age. It also makes for a better conversation he has with his late hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Characterization
The narrator is a simple man who knows what he loves. This is expressed through his undying love for his wife, his daughter, baseball, and the land of Iowa. The truth of his love is proved by his total faith in each of these. For instance, he has a spiritual connection with the game of baseball, and more specifically Shoeless Joe Jackson. This connection alone was enough for him to build a baseball field purely on a voice that gave him very little direction at all. In fact he knew he was coming tell his wife " 'It's Shoeless Joe Jackson',"(pg 7) before ever seeing him. He seems to understand life and the boundaries of life so deeply that he was able to interpret this calling in such a way that not many people would.
Setting
This story takes place in the mid 1900s, far after the Black Soxs scandal that still fascinates the narrator to this day. This is important because it shows how much of an impact a legend of baseball and his father made on this man. It was enough to make him believe that the impossible could happen. It was also set in Iowa, a conservative state, where his actions weren't well received with the community. This shows his nonconformity to society to pursue something the cared so deeply for. He knew he was a laughing stock and "must have a nickname," (pg 6) in the community but that didn't stop him from creating something that he was born to make.
Theme
I believe that the theme of this story is to chase your dreams. The narrator was looked down upon and did not have the support of his extended family. Nevertheless, he continued to do something that seemed so odd to others because he knew it was in his destiny to build a field. Another theme is faith. He made a huge decision based on faith alone. He invested his time and money into his love of baseball, his father, childhood hero's, and dreams themselves. He knew he did not have much, but had enough to chase the impossible. "I built the field and waited, and waited, and waited," (pg 6).
