36 pages • 1 hour read
Lee SmithFair and Tender Ladies
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1988A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Ivy has four noteworthy relationships with men: Lonnie Rash, Franklin Ransom, Oakley Fox, and Honey Breeding. What kind of relationship does she have with each man and how does each one affect her?
Ivy’s aspirations in life change significantly as she grows older. What inspires those shifts in her thinking?
Is there inherent virtue in poverty? How does Fair and Tender Ladies support or refute that idea?
Major historical events such as the World Wars get only a passing mention in Fair and Tender Ladies. Why is that the case, and what does that suggest about life in rural farming and mining towns?
Why is Ivy so focused on the idea of possession? Is her fixation literal, symbolic, or both?
Though wars take a back seat to the main action of the novel, their effects are felt throughout the course of Ivy’s life. In what ways do the wars in Ivy’s lifetime affect specific people Ivy knows and the communities in which she lives?
Does Smith believe the rural way of life is a good way to live? Why or why not?
Numerous people in Ivy’s life call her “special.” What makes Ivy special to each of the people who feel that way?
Each of Ivy’s siblings represents a particular archetype or way of thinking. What does each of them represent?
Ivy repeatedly observes that wealth doesn’t necessarily bring sense, education, or happiness. Provide three examples from contemporary life that illustrate or refute Ivy’s belief.
