The Middle West

The Middle West, also known as Midwest or North Central States is a region in the northern part of Central America. The region is located right between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. The states of this region are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin (Winther).

Interesting about the Midwest is that it was once partially covered by a glacier. The time period is the Quaternary, which started 2.6 million years ago and extends into the present. During different times of this time period, ice covered most but never all of the Midwest. Naturally, for glaciers, the one that was at work in the Middle West buried the landscape and by doing so, scraped at the surface of the rocks beneath it (Wall 2014).

This is intriguing because in “Afterward” Edward Boyne leaves New York with his wife Mary and they go to the Middle West, where Boyne starts to grind on till. Till is a material that is left once a glacier retreats due to climatic changes (Wharton 344).

• Wall, Alex F. “Chapter 6: Glaciers of the Midwestern US”. The Teacher-Friendly Guide.Web. (online available under: http://geology.teacherfriendlyguide.org/downloads/mw/tfggmw_6_glaciers_lr.pdf) (Retrieved 15/06/2019)

• Winther, Oscar O. et al. “United States”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. 09. June. 2019. 15. June. 2019. https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-newer-culture-areas

• Wharton, Edith. “Afterward”. The Muse's Tragedy and Other Stories. Ed. Candace Waid. London: Penguin Books, 1992. 342-373. Print.

• Image 1: Map of the Middle West: https://cdn.britannica.com/s:700x450/39/4839-004-8B975761.jpg (Retrieved 15/06/2019)

• Image 2: Till: https://glacialtill.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/s5030027.jpg (Retrieved 15/06/2019)