Dec 31, 2009

The Downward Path to Wisdom | The Downward Path to Wisdom

At a glance:

Author: Katherine Anne Porter
First Published: 1944
Type of Plot: Domestic realism
Time of Work: The 1940's
Setting: A city in the southern United States
Principal Characters: Stephen, Mama, Papa, Grandma, Marjory, Old Janet, Uncle David, Frances
Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
Subjects: Children, Family or family life, South or Southerners, 1940’s, Grandparents or grandchildren, Gifts, Balloons
Locales: South (U.S.)

The Story

Four-year-old Stephen lives in a chaotic household. The story begins as Papa accuses Mama of spoiling the boy, whom she brusquely pushes from their bedroom. Their servant Marjory calls Stephen “dirty” and “mean” like his father. Soon the family quarreling becomes so severe that Stephen is sent to live with his grandmother.

At Grandma's house, Stephen gets to know his Uncle David, a large man who roughhouses with him and teaches him to box. One day, Uncle David brings home a large box of advertising balloons that he and Stephen share in a game to see who...

[The entire page is 1331 words long]

The Downward Path to Wisdom | The Downward Path to Wisdom

At a glance:

The Story

Join eNotes