Question

What conflict arises between Mother and Mr. Weems? How is the conflict resolved, and how does this resolution affect Tom?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

Mother, Mr. Weems, and Tom are characters in the short story "The Deep", by Anthony Doerr. Part of the story is set in 1929, the year of the Great Depression. Tom has a heart condition and, after his mother is told he will live up to be 16, 18 if he's lucky, she does everything she can to protect him. Since the doctor says to avoid surprises or excitement, Mother ends up making a recluse out of Tom.

Mr. Weems rents a room in Tom's house, and he does not agree with the way Tom's mother acts. One day, a girl Tom likes shows up to give him a jar full of tadpoles. Tom's mother throws them away angrily. This is where Mr. Weems decides to talk to her. He tells her Tom deserves to live his life, "stretch his legs". What he means is that there is no point in keeping him alive if he cannot do anything. If he is going to die, she might as well let him live.

The resolution is favorable. Mother starts to give Tom more freedom, and he gets to interact more with that girl. And it turns out Mr. Weems was right. Even though his heart condition makes him suffer, Tom enjoys being alive. By the end of the story, he is already 21 years old, and very grateful for having one more day to live.