The Turning

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2004

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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”

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Quiz

Tools

Discussion Questions

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?