Comparing the description of the fox on the monolingual dictionary, Lawrence chose some elements rather than others. Indeed, the choice is functional within the text to deepen not only the wildness of the animal but also to characterize the behaviour of Henry as a predator and to highlight its charm.

Fox

noun, often attributive \ˈfäks\

1. any of various carnivorous mammals (especially genus Vulpes) of the dog family related to but smaller than wolves with shorter legs, more pointed muzzle, large erect ears, and long bushy tail

2. a clever crafty person

3. archaic: sward

4. a member of an American Indian people formerly living in what is now Wisconsin

5. a good-looking young woman or man

In terms of the denotative layer of meaning, I collected the following data:

1.  “One evil there was greater than any other”
2. “Since the war the fox was a demon”
3. The use of the subject pronoun “he” specific for the male gender
4. “The fox was too quick for them”
5. “The fox really exasperated them both”
6. “He was so sly”
7. “He was difficult as a serpent to see”
8. “He seemed to circumvent the girls deliberately”

Starting from our survey work on the First World War, the perception of the conflict emerged significantly as poverty and hunger. This issue comes to light also in Lawrence’s short story. Indeed, the two protagonists, as the soldiers at the front, struggle every day for survival. However, the only form of sustenance, poultry breeding, failed because of the fox.