This impacts her relationship with her family members as they are unaware of her desire for a separate life and cannot understand her eccentric art style and decision to move into her art studio.

Mercy’s role as a dreamer causes her to live vicariously through her daughter Lily’s romantic adventures and encourages her infatuations and dalliances.

Lily, on the other hand, makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to remarry without telling anyone, suggesting a desire to assert her own identity and pursue her own happiness.ĭo you think these two events highlight how important self-acceptance and not living a fabricated life is? However, he eventually learns that his family has always known and accepts him for who he is.

Eddie struggles to reveal his orientation to his family, fearing rejection and judgment.

Each chapter presents a different set of challenges and obstacles for the characters to navigate, and the way they handle these challenges sheds light on their relationships with one anotherĭiscuss how these themes of family dynamics and relationships manifest throughout the different chapters of the book.

From the strained relationship between Alice and Kevin to the bond between Mercy and Robin, Anne Tyler examines the different ways that family members interact with and influence one another in taking multiple decisions.

Mercy’s dedication to her art is a source of tension between her and Robin, but it also allows her to carve out her own identity and pursue her passion.ĭiscuss Mercy’s ability to have confidence in herself based on this particular scenario. Her family is initially taken aback by her decision, but eventually accept it.

Mercy’s decision to move to her art studio reflects her desire to pursue her own interests and have her own space.

The vacation becomes a turning point in Lily’s life as she meets Trent and falls for him.ĭo you think this was the exact moment when Alice’s protective instincts kicked in when she realized what was happening and became way more concerned about her sister’s wellbeing? The vacation at Deep Creek Lake highlights the lack of communication between parents and children, as Robin downplays David’s near-drowning incident.Not keeping in touch with each other proved that they were not well acquainted with what was happening in their respective lives.ĭiscuss how this was purposely done by Anne Taylor to set the stage for the rest of the novel, which delves into the family’s history and explores the reasons for their estrangement. The chance encounter between Serena and Nicholas at the beginning of the novel shows how disconnected the Garrett family members were from each other, even those who are related.

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