Essay Questions

Who was Laurence, and why did the family try to forget about him?

Laurence is the youngest sibling in the Pommeroy family, and sort of an outcast. Early in his life, he acted entitled and made his siblings’ lives difficult. This created a rift between them. His attitude alienated him from his peers and family, and Laurence did not seem bothered by this, which only made it worse. After their father’s death, which was a very stressful time for the family, their conflict was exacerbated due to high tension and Laurence’s unwillingness to change. In spite, Laurence chose to believe the worst of his mother, and disavowed her. His hate toward her and her position in life made his family very angry and they tried to cut him off, somewhat successfully. He eventually moved out, and the family did not hear from him until now.

Was Laurence different or not when reconnecting with his family, and why?

Laurence’s family had forgotten about him for the most part by the time he had chosen to come back, in the wake of their father’s death. He had not changed his attitude, and in many ways was more defiant than before. His family was incredibly annoyed by him and the way that he talked to them. He endlessly made fun of them, the house that they were in, and everything. He hated his mother, and spat furious words at his dead father. This was not received well by his family, who were incredibly angry and fed up with him. He brought an entirely new, timid, family with him, who seemed to shrink at his words.

What is the significance of the ending?

The ending of the book, where one of the family members (the narrator) punches Laurence with the intent of seriously harming him. Laurence is fine, and is able to escape the situation unscathed. This parallels the majority of Laurence’s life, where, despite major push-backs, he is able to leave situations without any major harm to him. His family is negatively affected by his actions, and despite major pushback towards him, he refuses to change. In this situation, much like in his earlier life, when he has the opportunity to escape from his family, he does. After being punched, he decides once again to leave his family and go his own way. His interactions around his family are solely motivated by self-interest, and his family inevitably wants nothing to do with him.