When we first met Ian he was a teenager growing up with his entire life to live in front of him. He was enjoying his life; he had a very attractive girlfriend that he 'messed around' with a lot, he got into college (just barely), and he had a large family around him that loved and cared for him. After Danny's death, whether it was Ian's fault of not, Ian's life changed drastically. His family now needed him to be home and help around the house with the three young children because Ian's parents were getting old and achy. Dropping out of college altogether and getting a job signified Ian's development into an adult, a young adult. Ian went from being an older brother figure to the children to instantly becoming a father figure. Ian assumed his role as a father to the children until all three of them were out of school and grown up. Once all of the children were grown up and out on their own, Ian finally got to pick up his life where it w

Thomas maintained the same personality throughout the novel. He always went with the flow and tried to enjoy himself, even if it meant Bible camp. It was tough for him having Agatha as a sister because she would always try to instill her beliefs on him. He overcame Agatha's pressure and matured into a very admirable individual. He was a very good student and a social butterfly, however, the Bedloes were always very close to him and he appreciated what they'd done for him. His gratitude was shown when he too returned to his childhood home to be with Ian and the rest of the family when Ian's baby was born.

Daphne was caught somewhere in the middle of this whole situation. She was only a baby when Danny died and a very young child when her mother, Lucy, had died. She grew up with Thomas and Agatha, participating in the same activities, but she shared a different bond to the remaining family. She was the only child that was blood related to the Bedloes. She never came out and said it but it was apparent that she knew that and it explains why she stuck around for so long. Daphne had some problems while she was in school, but I think that it was just because she was trying to deviate from the "perfect student" image that Agatha and Thomas had set before her. When she realized how much Ian cared for her and was trying to help, she straightened up her

Some common words found in the essay are:
Thomas Daphne, Bedloes Agatha, Thomas Agatha, Agatha Thomas, Saint Maybe, Anne Tyler, Bedloe Daphne, Book World, ian's child, master capturing evolution, rest family, agatha thomas, saint maybe, master capturing, capturing evolution, throughout novel, anne tyler, grown children,
Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)