1. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS
OTHER INFORMATION
S. Wilson – ENG4C – spring 2016

2. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Chapter 3: In the Present
Daniel’s family: Educated – History of professors and all “experts in their fields”
Kate’s Family: Doesn’t talk about relationships. Hides emotions and problems
Daniel wants to know all about Kate – creates tension/conflict in relationship
Foreshadowing Pye family issues
Use of memories: Mrs. Vernon telling the history of Crow Lake to Kate and Kate reminiscing about these conversations later in life
Pye family: Jackson Pye and his sons
Chapter 4: In the Past
Flashes back to the past and Aunt Annie’s arrival
Aunt Annie assists family to get everything in order
Returning to the ponds – what do ponds represent? (Matt, Kate, Bo)
Meeting Marie Pye on road – “What are you going to do? What’s going to happen?”
Kate’s reaction and the plan to split up the family
Chapter 5: In the Past
Still Kate’s memories – Aunt Annie at the house
The visit with Ms. Clarington and the “tragedy of Matt” – What is tragedy?

3. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Chapter 6: In the Present and Then Past
“Oh the chances, the fragile little incidents which determine the course of our lives” – FATE
Luke’s disappearance and the realization that Luke cares about his siblings
The determination of the spider dragging a mayfly: moral lesson? And then Bo kills it
Chapter 7: In the Past
Luke still not home
Matt’s cool demeanor towards Aunt Annie. Talks a little about working for Calvin Pye and how he is “insane”
Luke returns and discusses his plan to raise the family. What are the kid’s reactions?

4. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Readers are introduced to a number of new characters in these five chapters. Make sure you understand some of the qualities of:
Aunt Annie – Who is she? What is her role? Does family have an obligation to step in and help in situations like this?
Daniel – How would you describe his and Kate’s relationship?
Pye Family – Why does there seem to be so much tension when describing these characters?

5. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
The Morrison Children show some important developments in this section. Remember, it’s up to the reader to keep track of where and when the story is taking place. Personalities developed in the past and we see them in the present.
LUKE
What’s the difference between Luke’s way of grieving and that of Matt and Kate?
Does it make sense for Luke to raise the family or is this an emotional decision?
MATT
How do the ponds become important to the kids?
Why is Matt suffering a tragedy in this section? How has his life been affected?
KATE
Why does Kate hide her emotions?
What do the chapters tell us about Kate’s connection to her siblings?

6. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
OTHER INFORMATION
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
There is some other information in these chapters that is important to the development of the story…
“Oh the chances, the fragile little incidents which determine the course of our lives” (p. 61)
THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING In Chapter Four, some of the children return to the ponds. Kate remembers, “It was the first time we had been back to the ponds since our parents’ death, and when I saw them again, when we slid down the bank to the first of them, I felt my spirits rise in spite of everything.” (p. 46). What do the ponds represent? Keep track of how they play a role in Kate’s life throughout the novel.
How is FATE a developing theme in the novel? If you’re not sure, think about all of the major conflicts. Is it possible they were meant to happen?
“Here’s the question, Katie: Is he very very determined, or is his memory so short that he forgets what happened two seconds ago, so he always thinks he’s doing it for the first time? (p. 61)
What does this passage involving the spider represent? Kate ends up stomping on the second spider. Why? What theme or idea might this connect to?

7. CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
Crow Lake
OTHER INFORMATION
CHAPTERS 3-7 INFORMATION
There is some other information in these chapters that is important to the development of the story…
DEFINITIONS:
BILDUNGSROMAN: A novel that explores the mental change of a character as they grow up from a child to an adult. This includes understanding how they see the world as an adult. In Crow Lake, Kate is our focus character.
FORESHADOWING: A literary device where the author provides hints of what’s to come. This is different from the flash-forwards and the flash-backs in Crow Lake. Examples include repeated mentions of fate, and a build-up of the Pye Family – as if you sort of know that something is going to happen.