White completely uproots his wife and son from a metropolitan lifestyle to a rural life in Maine. How would you react if you had to make such a dramatic lifestyle change? What would you anticipate? What would you miss?

Why do you think a man who is a writer like White would want to do manual labor and care for animals on a farm every day?

Do you think the experience of living on the farm has been a good one for White? For his family?

What is it about the Maine experience that White thinks will help him become a better writer? Do you think he was right in his choice to make the move?

At the time of the White family's experience in Maine, communication is very limited to telephone and mail. Describe how the family's situation would be very different today...