Dec 16, 2009

His Final Mother | His Final Mother

At a glance:

Author: Reynolds Price
First Published: 1990
Type of Plot: Psychological
Time of Work: The twentieth century
Setting: Southern United States
Principal Characters: Crawford Langley, His father, Adele
Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Parents and children, South or Southerners, Courage, Ghosts or apparitions, Death or dying, Bereavement or grief
Locales: South (U.S.)

The Story

Adele Langley, the mother of twelve-year-old Crawford, drops dead while hanging a quilt on the backyard clothesline. All the family had been sure her racing heart would shorten her life. Now Crawford must face the crisis that everyone expected. The boy directs the ambulance, sends the body to the funeral home, and waits for his father, who is away on an errand, to arrive. In his attempt to become grown up, Crawford tries to assume an adult role, taking charge in his father's absence.

Crawford analyzes each stage of his own maturation. Bravery, he thinks, is his...

[The entire page is 1358 words long]

His Final Mother | His Final Mother

At a glance:

The Story

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