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Object Lessons

Anna Quindlen’s novel, Object Lessons, is at times confusing and even depressing. The central character, Maggie, takes you through the eventful summer of her 12-year old life. Through her family’s eyes and behavior, especially those of her Grandfather’s, she is given both warnings and examples of what it means to become an adult. These warnings and examples serve as object lessons that move Maggie from a fairly naive girl, to a young woman better equipped to handle each unfolding event in the book. Object Lessons is a great title for this book, because the characters play a role in providing moral guidance, real life examples and relevant instances for Maggie. Through these lessons, Maggie faces a choice to either stay stuck in her child like innocence or develop the strength and a bridge to adulthood. She eventually realizes that all of the adversity that the summer brought would serve as life lessons. Towards the end of the book she says, “…that 20 years from now she w...

Posted by: Alyscia Yellowman

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