Within the context of literary Naturalism, “The Sculptor’s Funeral” is about the utilitarianism of life on the frontier and the degradation of the soul in a world of materialism without art. This idea illustrates the internal struggle of The Artist Against Society by narrating the tragic story of an artistic genius who grows up in what Laird describes as a “borderland between ruffianism and civilization” (335). The story presents Merrick’s inability to escape the impact of the frontier as he yearns for art and beauty but retains the longing for acceptance and home.

A work of short fiction, Willa Cather’s story depicts a homecoming, or the return after a period of exile. The structure of her story also demonstrates elements of the mystery genre by beginning the story with the end of the journey, as the sculptor’s body is returned to his hometown. Merrick’s former student, Henry Steavens, serves as the story’s focalizer, or the lens through which his story is framed.

The tone of the homecoming and return is set early in the story with the symbol of a palm leaf that adorns Merrick’s coffin.