Symbolism

1. Symbolism Below are the Monopoly pieces used by the Salmon family. What could they symbolise/tell us about the character who uses them? Lindsey – the iron Susie – the shoe Buckley – the dog Jack – the car Abigail – the canon Nate – the hat

2. Abigail Salmon Objective: to explore the character of Abigail

3. What do we learn about Abigail from this dialogue with Len Fenerman? “That’s the question that preoccupies me most when I’m not preoccupied by things like your daughter’s murder.” A strange smile came across my mother’s face. “Say that again,” she said. “What?” Len looked at her smile, wanted to reach out and trace the corners of it with his fingertips. “My daughter’s murder,” my mother said. “Abigail, are you okay?” “No one says it. No one in the neighborhood talks about it. People call it the ‘horrible tragedy’ or some variation on that. I just want it to be spoken out loud by somebody. To have it said aloud. I’m ready—I wasn’t ready before.” My mother dropped her cigarette onto the concrete and let it burn. She took Len’s face in her hands. “Say it,” she said. “Your daughter’s murder.” “Thank you.”

4. Actress playing Abigail Salmon discusses the character in an interview

5. From heaven, Susie remembers a set of photographs she took when alive. Analyse the quote below and answer the questions: Why do you think this particular photograph is significant? Why do you think there is loss in her eyes? ‘There was only one picture in which my mother was Abigail. It was the first one, the one taken of her unawares, the one captured before the click startled her into mother of the birthday girl, owner of the happy dog, wife to the loving man, and mother again to another girl and a cherished boy. Homemaker. Gardener. Sunny neighbor. My mother’s eyes were oceans, and inside them there was loss.’ Page 43

6. Analysis of quote Susie’s mother is only her true self when she thinks no one is looking. The loss that Susie sees in her eyes is Abigail's grief over losing herself to the numerous roles listed; she has so many roles to fill in her family life that she does not have time for the real Abigail. Susie uses a metaphor to compare her mother’s eyes to “oceans”; like the ocean, her eyes seem deep and endless, and there is no knowing what is inside of them. Susie is not the only one who sees the oceans in her mother’s eyes; Jack and Len also see them, and that is part of the reason they both find her so appealing. Susie also finds the mysterious part of her mother appealing, hence the reason she took the picture, but she also does not completely understand it. As the novel goes on, the picture is seen by many characters; their interpretations, along with Susie’s new point-of-view in heaven, help Susie to understand the mystery of her mother.

7. Susie’s mother is only her true self when she thinks no one is looking. The loss that Susie sees in her eyes is Abigail's grief over losing herself to the numerous roles listed; she has so many roles to fill in her family life that she does not have time for the real Abigail. Susie uses a metaphor to compare her mother’s eyes to “oceans”; like the ocean, her eyes seem deep and endless, and there is no knowing what is inside of them. Susie is not the only one who sees the oceans in her mother’s eyes; Jack and Len also see them, and that is part of the reason they both find her so appealing. Susie also finds the mysterious part of her mother appealing, hence the reason she took the picture, but she also does not completely understand it. As the novel goes on, the picture is seen by many characters; their interpretations, along with Susie’s new point-of-view in heaven, help Susie to understand the mystery of her mother.

8. Working in groups… Come up with three possible reasons Abigail might ‘despise’ the word ‘momma’? (page 62)

9. Do you think Abigail is a good mother? Using evidence from pages 206-7 plot your ideas for or against.

10. Discourse Structure The narrative here is interrupted by Abigail’s memories. What is the effect of this interruption?

11. Page 170-171 Read the dialogue Abigail has with her mother, Lynn. Lynn tries to talk her out of her affair with Len Fenerman. From the perspective of either Abigail or Grandma Lynn, answer the questions below: • What do you think is going through your character’s mind at this point in the text? What is your character’s greatest desire?