Character
The narrator describes his father as "inarticulate" and "at sea" when trying to interact with this type of person.
Who is an imaginative child?
This object represents both a "glittering bauble" to a child and a lifelong symbol of a father’s quiet devotion.
What is the new penny?
The framing of the story takes place the evening before this significant family event.
What is the father's funeral?
Despite his stoic nature, the father shows his love by fixing this specific spot for Peter every spring, even if the season is late.
What is the small spot where Peter planted beans/seeds?
The narrator explains that his father felt this sensation whenever he came near the "door" of Peter’s child-world.
What is "awkward and conscious of trespass"?
Peter originally intended to take his penny to the store to buy this specific "magic" treat.
What is "Long Tom" popcorn?
The narrator uses these two adjectives to describe how his father might appear to a stranger, though he clarifies that neither is actually true.
What are "humorless and severe"?
Peter felt he had to tell the truth about his "childish visions" because only the truth could "scatter" this painful idea from his father's head.
What is the idea that Peter was hiding because he feared a beating?
To find the lost penny, the father gets on his knees and draws his fingers through the dust like this farming tool.
What is a harrow?
This character is the one who finally finds Peter asleep in his bed after the family searched the well and the blueberry barrens.
Who is Peter's mother?
The story explores the difficulty of communication between a father and son, described by the narrator as a "stiff" feeling of this.
What is "awareness"?
During the search for Peter, the father was so upset that he ran through this dangerous area where Tom Reeve was working.
What is the "chopping" (or burning brush/flames)?
At the end of the story, Peter realizes his father had kept the penny polished in this specific, unusual location for years.
What is an upper vest pocket (where no one carries change)?
This theme is highlighted when Peter imagines buying his father a mowing machine so they could have more time for this specific activity.
What is "laughing and talking" (or going to town together)?
Before giving Peter the penny, the father did this several times to wait for the boy to notice the gift.
What is pretending to examine the date on it?