The Turning

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2004

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Summary

Story Summaries & Analyses

“Big World,” “Abbreviation,” and “Aquifer”

“Damaged Goods” and “Small Mercies”

“On Her Knees” and “Cockleshell”

“The Turning,” “Sand,” and “Family”

“Long, Clear View,” “Reunion,” “Commission,” and “Fog”

“Boner McPharlin’s Moll,” “Immunity,” and “Defender”

Essay Topics

How does the linked structure of the book support its themes? How do the connections between stories help strengthen the meaning of each individual story?

How is the adult Vic Lang that we see in stories like “Damaged Goods” and “Defender” an outgrowth of the young man we see in earlier stories? What made him into the man he is at the end of the book?

There are several stories where the bush or the outback play a prominent role. How does the wilderness function in one of these stories?