A Summer Tragedy

Despite the harsh conditions and exploitative nature of share farming, Jeff paradoxically feels an “unexplained affection” for the acres that he has farmed. Using context clues from the story, how might you explain this feeling?

Throughout the story, there are references to superstition and folk magic. Jeff believes that the frizzly chickens in the yard protect “against conjure and bad luck and spells” (351). On the other hand, Jennie views Delia’s ways with men as “dark and suspicious” (353). How do these moments provide a more complex understanding of Southern Black Creole culture?

What is the significance of Jeff and Jennie dying by driving their car into the river? Why would they choose this over another method? Use context from the story to support your answer.

Many of the physical descriptions of Jennie compare her to plants or crops. She is described as having a “wasted, dead-leaf appearance” (349), being as “gnarled as a string bean” (349), and crying in a voice that “suggested the rattle of fodder on dead stalks” (354). What do these descriptions reveal about her character? How do they contribute to the reader’s understanding of Jennie?

The story is told through a limited third-person point of view, allowing the reader insight into Jeff’s thoughts while providing only some knowledge of Jennie’s feelings. What effect does this point of view have on the story? How might our experience as readers change if we had more insight into Jennie’s thoughts?

The dark interior of Jeff and Jennie’s small house contrasts with the outside atmosphere of a summer day that is “warm and mellow with sunshine” (350). How does this juxtaposition help set the tone for the rest of the story?

Although Jeff briefly thinks about his and Jennie’s five children, the story does not elaborate on how they died. Why does the story refuse to elaborate on this situation? What context clues in the text support your interpretation?

Describe Jennie’s relationship to her possessions. Is she sadder about leaving behind her possessions than she is about dying? How do her reasons for choosing to die differ from Jeff’s?