1. Alex Mercer is Phillip's closest friend in Memphis and he corresponds regularly with Phillip in Manhattan concerning Mr. Carver. In Chapter 3, Phillip discusses Alex's position and concerns about Mr. Carver's new status as a widower and subsequent dating. What are these concerns? Why does Alex worry so much about how Betsy and Josephine will react to their father's dating some of the women in town? How does he look upon the middle aged daughters of his friend and their behavior about town concerning their father?

2. As Chapter Six opens, Phillip describes the way his sisters are treating their father. How are the sisters behaving now that Father is dating?

3. In Chapter 2, Phillip relates the story of his sister Joesphine's experience with her serious beau, Clarkson Manning. What happens to to their relationship? What does Manning inadvertently do that changes the relationship between the two? How does Father react to Manning?

4. In Chapter 4, Phillip speaks of two important relationships in the novel. One is the friendship between Phillip and Alex. The other is the friendship between Alex and Mr. Carver. Father and son are not particularly close, but each are close to Alex. In this chapter, how does this triangle of friendship begin to display itself?

5. In Chapter 5, Phillip reminisces on his failed engagement. What happens between Phillip and Clara Price? Compare his experience with that of his sisters.

6. In Chapter 4, Phillip discusses Alex's concerns about Mr. Carver. Phillip listens, but thinks that Alex may not know his sisters as well as he thinks he does. What does Alex fear will happen to Mr. Carver and why? How does Phillip see the situation?

7. In Chapter 1, how do Mr. Carver's daughters initially handle his dating? How does this change when he begins seeing one woman exclusively?

8. In Chapter 3, Phillip describes how Betsy and Josephine settle into their lives in Memphis after their failed engagements. He speaks with some pride about their accomplishments. What are those accomplishments? What type of life have Betsy and Josephine made for themselves in Memphis?

9. In Chapter 1, the narrator begins the story with an explanation of the perils of a widower with middle-aged children,dating. What is the major issue faced by the widower? What examples of this situation does the narrator provide?

10. In Chapter 5, Phillip's narrative presents many examples of Alex's ability to befriend both Mr Carver and Phillip Carver. What are the examples Phillip gives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the opening of the novel, Phillip speaks of the danger of middle aged children interfering with their widowed fathers' dating. How does this theme manifest itself in the novel? Discuss the ironic twist on this theme that becomes a central thread of the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Georgie Carver, the eldest son in the novel, is dead throughout much of the story. Who was Georgie? What do you know about his relationship members of his family? Is Georgie an important character in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Typically a four leaf clover is a symbol of good luck. In the novel, Phillip asks his mother for the four leaf clover pendant he sees on her dressing table. The pendant, however, does not bring luck to either Mother or Phillip. Discuss the pendant's history in the Carver family. How does the eventual recipient react to the pendent?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,327 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)

View a FREE sample

More summaries and resources for teaching or studying A Summons to Memphis.

View all Lesson Plans available from BookRags.

Copyrights

BookRags