What makes a family and what holds it together? Is shared blood more important than shared goals and sentiments? The Adventures of Augie March asks these questions, even if it doesn't answer them. Augie himself comes from a broken home. His father abandoned him and his mother exercises little authority over her three boys. The head of the household is a boarder they call Grandma. As Augie becomes involved in other people's lives, he's often involved in other families. He witnesses the costs that adultery, financial hardship, children, and childlessness have on family lives and values. The novel gives us these observations, but it's up to the reader to draw the conclusions.
Questions About Family
- Why does Augie refuse the Renlings' offer to adopt him?
- Who in his family is Augie closest to? How so?
- What are Augie's particular "family values"?
- Why does Augie like to imagine his father?
Chew on This
Grandma Lausch becomes a member of the March family.
Grandma Lausch doesn't become a member of the March family.