The Accidental Tourist
by Anne Tyler
Teaching notes prepared for VATE members
by Glenys Kerley
CONTENTS
1.
Introduction
Page
1
2.
Ways into the text
Page
3
3.
Running sheet and structure of the text
Page
6
4.
Characters
Page
9
5.
Issues and Themes
Page
17
6.
A guided approach to selected passages
Page
23
7.
Further activities for exploring the text
Page
26
8.
Key quotes
Page
30
9.
Essay topics
Page
32
10.
References and resources
Page
33
Page numbers in these notes refer to Tyler, A., The Accidental Tourist, Vintage, 1988
Purchasers may copy these notes for classroom use
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
Section 1.
An introduction to The Accidental Tourist
Anne Tyler published The Accidental Tourist in 1985. She was then already a wellestablished novelist. She grew up in the Southern States of America in a prosperous
Quaker family. When she wrote this novel she was working from the family home
where she was bringing up her school children while her husband went to work. The
novel is set in the city in which she has lived most of her married life, Baltimore,
Maryland, which is a long-established seaport on the east coast. She understands
the city so well that she is able to use local social nuances to add interest and humour
to her writing.
The setting of an American city towards the end of the twentieth century is one that
most students will be very familiar with from film and television. They might, however,
be less familiar with the emotions that are an integral part of this novel. Two of the
main characters, Macon and Sarah, are bereaved parents. It is a year since their son
died, but they are still, naturally enough, locked in the grieving process. They have
also been married for twenty-one years, which is well beyond the life experience of
Year Twelve students. Students might benefit from doing some research on grief and
depression, and on the circumstances and emotions that commonly encourage
couples to remain married. There are activities in the ‘Ways into the Text’ section,
and in the ‘Issues and Themes’ sections of these notes to help with this.
The third main character, Muriel Pritchett, is likely to win most students’ admiration.
She is much younger than Macon and Sarah, and lacks their privileged background.
However, she triumphs over adversity, and derives great enjoyment from her
complicated life. In this way, she is the kind of character that many Australian young
people like to be identified with – a battler and a larrikin, who is streetwise and
definitely a winner. In many ways Muriel and Macon prove the theory that opposites
attract.
The narration is in the third person and is limited to Macon’s point of view.
Consequently we know about his relationship with Sarah, and his relationship with
Muriel. We have little idea of what the two women think of each other. This is an area
that students would be able to explore imaginatively, and this might deepen their
understanding of the novel.
There is much humour in this novel. Some is provided by Edward the dog, and some
by Macon’s earnest endeavours to make sense of the world around him. Muriel is
witty too. The author’s social observation is acute, which also provides much humour.
The Accidental Tourist was made into a successful film in 1995. The film necessarily
truncates the novel, but is amazingly faithful to it right through until the ending where
speeches are inserted that change the whole outcome. This film might be useful to
use with unmotivated students. It could be used to encourage the very unwilling to
read sections of the book. With very able students subtle differences could be
discussed. The majority of students would do well to confine themselves to the study
of the novel.
The novel is a simple enough text to use with weaker students, but is nonetheless
very complex once the reader starts examining the sub-texts. It provides sufficient
challenge to engage the strongest students.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
1
In 1989, four years after writing this novel, Anne Tyler won the Pulitzer Prize for her
book, Breathing Lessons. Many critics agree that The Accidental Tourist is her best
book, but she herself prefers Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. These three novels
focus on relationships in and around families, on marriage and parenthood, and on
dealing with the difficulties that often arise in everyday life. They are not epic stories,
but are written on a human scale, and their main concern is human beings and
society.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
2
Section 2. Ways into the text
Journeys
Compile a list of opposites, for example: the longest/shortest journey, the
hottest/coldest journey, the hardest/easiest journey, the most unusual/most routine
journey, the fastest/slowest journey, the most/least comfortable journey and the
scariest/most reassuring journey. Encourage students to add other adjectives to this
list.




Ask the students to choose three journeys from the list that are relevant to their
lives.
In groups of four or five, the students could describe their three chosen
experiences of journeys.
After each presentation, the group should help the speaker to decide which
experience of the three would make the most interesting class talk.
Students should then develop a longer talk, (about three minutes), to be
delivered to the whole class, on the journey that has interested the small group
most. Two or three talks should be scheduled as part of the next ten lessons or
so.
Life as a journey
Discuss with students the ways in which life may be said to be like a journey. Start
with the easy ideas – for example, a journey has a beginning and an ending – and
then develop this theme from there.
Ask students to research references to life as a journey from songs, poetry and other
sources. If students find this difficult because they know of none, then they could
type, for example, ‘Journey of Life’ into a search engine, such as Google, and each
student could summarise one item from the resulting list of references.
Make a visual display of as many references as possible on this theme.
Marriage and divorce
Research and discuss the common view of marriage and divorce within a range of
cultural and religious groups.
Research how Australian law applies to marriage and divorce.
Questions for students
1. Under what circumstances do you think you might like to be married?
2. Do you think people sometimes marry for foolish reasons? If so, give some
examples of these reasons.
3. Why do you think some people choose to have longstanding sexual relationships
with each other, and not get married?
4. Under what circumstances do you think it is appropriate to seek a divorce?
5. Do you think that it is reasonable for a married person to expect their partner to
have no sexual relationships outside the marriage? Give reasons for your answer.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
3
6. Is it legal in Australia for people to have more than one sexual relationship at a
time? Are the laws of all countries the same on this question?
7. Is it legal in Australia to have more than one marriage partner at a time? What do
you think is the logic behind this law?
8. When there are children in a marriage, in your opinion, should the parents try at all
costs to avoid divorce? Give reasons for your answer.
9. When there is a sexual relationship without marriage, and a child is born, do you
think the other partner has any duty to that child? If so, what are those
responsibilities?
These questions will raise sensitive issues for some students. Students should be
assured that their privacy will be protected. They should write answers to the
questions before studying the text, and save these answers to look at later on in their
text study. They should revise their answers at the conclusion of their text study,
adding in detail about the circumstances surrounding Sarah, Macon and Muriel. If
they wish to, students should be given the opportunity to share their answers with a
partner that they choose for themselves. Those who do not wish to should do some
alternative work while this takes place.
If possible, try to interview someone who has been married for at least twenty years.
What have been the benefits of this experience?
Are there any negatives?
(Perhaps only students capable of tact and discretion should be asked to perform an
interview such as this!)
Resilience and grief
Resilience is the ability to face and overcome a setback in life.
 List examples of resilient characters from novels and plays that you studied
earlier in your school life.
 List examples of characters from the same texts who were destroyed by life’s
setbacks.
 What, according to these works of fiction, seems to make some people
resilient, and some people much less resilient?
 What do you think contributes to a person’s ability to be resilient in real life?
Use the Internet to research the five stages of grief.
How do you think a resilient person’s experience of grief might differ from that of a
person who lacks resilience?
Attitudes to life
Collect poems, songs and sayings that give advice about how life should be lived.
For example:
Poetry:
 ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph
 ‘Let me die a young man’s death’ by Roger McGough
Songs:
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
4









‘Anthem for the year 2000’and ‘Steam will rise’ by Silverchair
‘An ode to maybe’ by Third Eye Blind
‘Stay together for the kids’ and ‘Give me one good reason’ by Blink 182
‘God put a smile upon your face’, ‘Don’t panic’, ‘Everything’s not lost’ and ‘Life
is for living’ by Coldplay
‘We’re all going to die someday’ and ‘Don’t talk back’ by Kasey Chambers
‘Hate to say I told you so’ and ‘A get together to tear it apart’ by The Hives
‘Sometimes you can’t make it on your own’ and ‘Love and peace or else’ by U2
‘Treat your mama with respect’ by The Killers
‘Born to try’ by Deltra Goodrem
Sayings:
 ‘Carpe diem’
 ‘Life is not a dress rehearsal’
 ‘I will seize life by the throat’ (Beethoven’s alleged comment on his deafness)
Students should consider whether all these texts give similar advice, or whether
any give startlingly different advice.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
5
Section 3. Running sheet and Structure of Text
Chapter 1, p.1: Sarah decides to leave Macon.
Chapter 2, p.6: Macon introduces household reforms, and has difficulty sleeping.
Chapter 3, p.19: First contact with Sarah since their parting. First indication of
problems with Edward. First meeting with Muriel. Macon visits England and suffers
nostalgia for his old life with Sarah and Ethan. On his return Muriel makes a proposal.
Chapter 4, p.42: Macon has trouble coping with the demands of his everyday life. He
breaks his leg.
Chapter 5, p.58: Macon goes to live with his sister and brothers at the home of their
grandparents where he is much more comfortable. Account of the Leary family
history. Macon’s neighbour, Garner Bolt, visits and says that Muriel has visited
Macon’s house. Garner hints that Macon is too independent and should let Sarah
know how much he needs her. Macon later feels uneasy that so little has changed in
his family since their childhood.
Chapter 6, p.80: Edward bails up Julian when he calls around unexpectedly. Account
of how Macon’s job developed. Edward bites Macon, who rings Muriel to accept her
offer of dog training.
Chapter 7, p.97: Having taught Edward to sit, Muriel talks about herself and her
background. The next day she teaches Edward to walk to heel. That night Macon
dreams about Muriel and sex. Edward resists training to lie down, and Muriel and
Macon quarrel over Muriel’s treatment of Edward.
Chapter 8, p.122: Sarah wants to meet Macon. She does not want a reconciliation,
as Macon had hoped. She wants a divorce.
Chapter 9, p.143: Macon goes to New York on business, leaving Edward with Rose.
Macon has a panic attack in a restaurant at the top of a tall building, and at home,
Edward bails up Charles in the pantry. Macon rings Muriel and both crises are
resolved.
Chapter 10, p.165: Muriel reveals more details of her former life as she resumes
training Edward. The family celebrates Thanksgiving. Macon takes his niece, Susan,
on his business trip to Philadelphia. She talks about Ethan. Muriel asks Macon to
dinner at her home.
Chapter 11, p.195: Macon visits Muriel to tell her that he cannot go to dinner, and
ends up spending the night in bed with her. He realises that he is not alone in his pain
and grief.
Chapter 12, p.200: Life with Muriel and Alexander. Julian buys a ring for Rose.
Chapter 13, p.215: Christmas at Muriel’s parents’ house.
Chapter 14, p.229: Winter. Charles fetches Macon from Muriel’s house to deal with
frost damage in the house Macon used to share with Sarah. Charles tries to talk
Macon out of continuing his relationship with Muriel.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
6
Chapter 15, p.250: Macon meets an admirer in a plane, and finds that his own
horizons are now wider than those of his readership. Macon intervenes in
Alexander’s affairs. Julian invites Macon and Muriel to his wedding with Rose.
Chapter 16, p.264: Rose’s wedding. Macon is best man, and Sarah is matron of
honour. It all feels very natural to Macon.
Chapter 17, p.271: Muriel is yearning for marriage, but Macon is unwilling. Rose
invites Muriel and her brothers to dinner.
Chapter 18, p.289: Macon is away in Winnipeg when Sarah rings him. She wants to
move back into their old house, and she has cold feet about the divorce, now that it is
nearly settled. On his next flight he is kind to a fellow passenger who is scared of
flying, and tolerant of kindergarten children at the airport. He feels a different person.
Sarah rings him repeatedly. After landing in Baltimore once more, he drives past
Muriel’s road and on to the old home where Sarah is waiting.
Chapter 19, p.300: Sarah and Macon are buying new furniture for the house but
already there is strain between them, and Macon has not lost his concern for Muriel
and Alexander.
Chapter 20, p.323: Macon travels to Paris on business. Muriel comes too, quite
independently. Sarah comes to nurse Macon when he is ill, but Macon chooses to be
with Muriel, for the time being at least.
Chapter Settings
p.1
p.6
p.58
p.80
p.289
p.300
p.323
Chapter 1: the family car
Chapter 2–4: Sarah and Macon’s marital home
Chapters 5–11: The Leary family home
Chapter 6–17: Singleton Street with Muriel
Chapter 18: Canada
Chapter 19: Sarah and Macon’s marital home
Chapter 20: Paris
It may be useful for students to list which characters appear in each setting.
Macon’s business trips
Chapter 3
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 18
Chapter 20
London
New York
Philadelphia
Canada
Paris
Groups of students should make notes on the events of each business trip and share
the results with the class.
Students should then assess how Macon is living before the trip, how he resumes his
life after the trip, whether there is a significant difference in Macon’s wellbeing and if
so, what aspect of the trip has led to that difference.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
7
Where Macon was when he had his dreams
p.42
p.108
p.280
p.322
p.336
p.341
Marital home
Leary family home
Singleton Street
Marital home
Paris
Paris
In a group, or as individuals, students should describe each dream, explain how the
dream might relate to the past, and explain how Macon’s plans for the future might be
evolving, as evidenced by the dream.
Narration
The narration is in the third person, limited to Macon’s point of view, and largely linear.
This gives you the opportunity to ask students to write versions of sections of the text
in the first person, and from other characters’ points of view.
For example, Muriel rings her friend Bernice to talk about Macon at various stages.
What does she say?
What does Sarah tell her friend about Muriel after Rose’s wedding?
How would Alexander feel after his shopping trip with Macon? What would he say to
his mother?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
8
Section 4. Characters
The narration is in the third person and is limited to Macon’s perceptions and so the
reader has much more material on Macon’s character than on any other. Even Sarah,
because of her physical removal from Macon, is a peripheral character. The novel
traces Macon’s journey through crisis and grief and the development of his character.
The material on grief in the Issues section will be useful in understanding Macon’s
growing self-knowledge.
The following table contains quotations for each major character. Students should
complete the two activities for each table and the further suggestions for each
character at the end of each table.
1. Students should fill out the comments section describing what each quotation
shows about the specified character.
2. Students should add further quotations and comments for each character.
Macon Leary
Page
p.3
p.7
p.23
p.55
p.64
p.117
p.132
Quotation
What it reveals about his character
‘Honey, to tell the truth, it never
seemed to me there was all that
much point to begin with.
He had always disapproved of her
messiness but now those spills
seemed touching, like colorful
toys left on the floor after a child
has gone to bed.
At home he had everything set up
around him so he hardly needed
to think.
On trips, even the
smallest task required efforts and
decisions.
‘I’m all alone, it’s just me; it seems
everybody’s just … fled from me, I
don’t know, I’ve lost them, I’m left
standing here saying “Where’d
they go? … Oh, God, what did I
do that was so bad?”’
He recalled his childhood as a
glassed-in place with grown-ups
rushing past, talking to him,
making changes, while he himself
stayed mute.
‘I like it white. I polish it with shoe
polish.’
He’d had moments when he
imagined he’d never cared for her
to begin with; only went after her
because everybody else had. But
the fact was, she was his oldest
friend. … She was embedded in
his life.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
9
p.140
p.166
p.181
p.205
p.227
p.238
p.249
p.256
p.267
p.275
p.279
p.318
‘Sarah, I’m not muffled. I …
endure. I’m trying to endure, I’m
standing fast, I’m holding steady.’
‘… You’re not holding steady;
you’re ossified. You’re encased.
You’re like something in a
capsule. You’re a dried-up kernel
of a man that nothing really
penetrates.’
She patted his arm, ‘But never
mind. … I think softhearted men
are sweet.’
It had never occurred to him that
Ethan’s cousins missed him too.
Macon knew she’d overdone it,
but at the same time he liked her
considering
this
such
an
occasion.
He often found himself talking
with her about Ethan. It felt good
to say his name out loud.
He felt content with everything
exactly the way it was.
He
seemed to be suspended, his life
on hold.
‘Not da Vinci. For God’s sake. It’s
Leonardo,’ he told her. Then he
stamped upstairs to change out of
his clammy trousers.
Oh, his life had regained all its old
perils. He was forced to worry
once again about nuclear war and
the future of the planet.
Macon had a sudden appalling
thought: Maybe in his middle age
he was starting to choose his
mother’s style of person, as if
concluding that Alicia – silly, vain,
annoying woman – might have
the right answers after all.
‘You quit the Meow-Bow?’ … He
couldn’t explain the sudden
weight that fell on him.
‘You don’t know what you want.
One minute you like me and the
next you don’t.
One minute
you’re ashamed to be seen with
me and the next you think I’m the
best thing that ever happened to
you.’
Making love to Sarah was
comfortable and soothing.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
10
p.349
He reflected that he had not taken
steps very often in his life, come
to think of it. Really never. His
marriage, his two jobs, his time
with Muriel, his return to Sarah –
all seemed to have simply
befallen him. He couldn’t think of
a single major act he had
managed of his own accord.
1. Students should colour code appropriate quotations to differentiate Muriel’s
opinion of Macon and Sarah’s opinion of him.
2. p.315: ‘He began to think that who you are when you are with somebody may
matter more than whether you love her.’
 Who is Macon when he is with Sarah?
 Who is Macon when he is with Muriel?
Sarah Leary
Page
Quotation
p.3
p.8
‘You’re not a comfort, Macon.’
At a second glance (he knew) she
was laughing at him. There was
a secret little gleam in her eyes
that was all too familiar with.
Lately, Macon had noticed he’d
begun to view Sarah as a form of
enemy.
‘The Old Bay. Of course,’ Sarah
said.
She either sighed or
laughed, he wasn’t sure which.
It had seemed to Macon back
then … that their failures were a
sign of something deeper, some
essential incompatibility.
They
had missed connections in the
most basic and literal sense.
‘You don’t even communicate
when you communicate.’
‘Ever since Ethan died I’ve had to
admit that people are basically
bad. Evil, Macon.’
‘I’m forty-two years old. I don’t
have enough time left to waste it
holing up in my shell. So I’ve
taken action.
I’ve cut myself
loose.’
‘Macon, I know you loved him but
I can’t help thinking you didn’t
love him as much as I did, you’re
not so torn apart by his going.’
He missed his wife. He missed
his son. They were the only
p.66
p.127
p.134
p.135
p.137
p.139
p.140
p.194
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
What it reveals about her character or
her relationship with Macon
The Accidental Tourist
11
p.269
p.272
p.298
p.306
p.319
p.351
1.
2.
3.
4.
people who seemed real to him.
There was no point looking for
substitutes.
They might have been his own
eyes; they were so familiar.
When he’d asked Sarah whether
she was living with anyone, and
Sarah had said, ‘Not really,’ what
exactly had she meant by that?
So here they were in their same
old positions, he could have said.
He had won her attention only by
withdrawing.
‘There are worse things than
boring, I’ve decided.’
‘By God, if that doesn’t sum up
every single thing that’s wrong
with being married. “The trouble
with you is, Macon – ” and, “I
know you better than you know
yourself, Macon – ”’
‘The trouble with you is,’ she
continued steadily, ‘You think
people should stay in their own
sealed packages.
You don’t
believe in opening up. You don’t
believe in trading back and forth.’
There would probably be still
other stages in their thirtieth year,
fortieth year – forever, no matter
what separate paths they chose
to travel.
Why do you think Sarah left Macon?
Why do you think she wanted to come back to him?
What steps did she take to encourage Macon to return to their marriage?
Describe what kind of wife you think she is.
Muriel Pritchett
Page
Quotation
p.95
‘Oh?’ Muriel said. ‘You let him
call you by your first name?’ …
‘He needs to learn respect.’
‘Why you ought to be walking
around that building so amazed
and proud of yourself.’
p.163
What it reveals about her character or
her relationship with Macon
p.164
He felt soothed and tired and
terribly hungry.
p.166
‘[Norman] just settled right into
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
12
p.168
p.209
p.210
p.226
p.228
p.248
p.266
p.271
p.278
p.288
p.326
being married … sometimes I get
to thinking what kids we were. It
was almost like playing house! It
was pretend! … And then all at
once it turned serious. Here I’ve
got this little boy now … and it
wasn’t playing house after all.’
‘I named him Alexander because I
thought it sounded high-class.’
She was interested in the
appearance of things, only the
appearance … Yet she could
raise her chin sometimes and
pierce his mind like a blade.
Then he knew what mattered was
the pattern of her life; that
although he did not love her he
loved the surprise of her, and also
the surprise of himself when he
was with her.
‘You’re thinking, “Oh, now I see
this Muriel was just on the lookout
for anybody in trousers.”’
She meant … to give him the best
of her … her spiky, pugnacious
fierceness as she fought her way
toward the camera with her chin
set awry and her eyes bright slits
of determination.
‘Why, she doesn’t even speak
proper English! She lives in that
slummy house, she dresses like
some kind of bag lady, she’s got
that little boy who appears to
have hookworm or something.’
‘If I was to marry, know what I’d
do? Never tell a soul. Act like I’d
been married for years. Slip off
somewheres to a justice of the
peace and come back like nothing
had happened and make out like
I’d been married all along.’
‘It was like I had, you know, cured
him, just so he could elope with
another woman.’
He felt awed by her, and
diminished.
But later, when she turned in her
sleep and moved away from him,
his feet followed hers of their own
accord to the other side of the
bed.
‘You need to have me around …
You were falling to pieces before
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
13
p.328
you had me.’
She’d press in till he felt trapped,
then suddenly draw back. It was
like a tug of war where the other
person all at once drops the rope
… You fall on the ground; you’re
so unprepared. You’re so emptyfeeling.
Muriel’s character can be explored imaginatively by filling in some of the gaps in the
narrative that relate to her. Some major events from her point of view are:
First meeting with Macon: p.26
First professional engagement: p.93
First quarrel: p.120
First kiss: p.177
First night together: p.197
First trip together: p.204
First mention of marriage: p.266
First abandonment by Macon: p.299
First contact after separation: p.311
Macon’s return: p.352
In small groups of twos and threes, students could devise a dialogue between, for
example, Muriel and Bernice, or Muriel and her mother, where they imagine what
might have taken place after one of the above events. They should perform their
dialogues to the class.
Rose Leary
Page
p.11
Quotation
What it reveals about her character
‘Everybody knows the Leary men
are difficult to live with … always
clamping down on the world as if
they really thought they could
keep it in line.’
p.58
I’m just a lucky pilgrim
On the road to Paradise
I’ve had trials, I’ve had sorrows
I’ve had grief and sacrifice …
p.128
You would think she had never
been warned that outsiders were
not to be trusted.
p.135
‘Cruising hardware stores like
other people cruise boutiques.’
p.172
‘You want to drive him off! You
three wasted your chances and
now you want me to waste mine,
but I won’t do it. I can see what’s
what! Just listen to any song on
the radio, look at any soap opera.
Love is what it’s all about. On
soap operas everything revolves
around love … And you want to
make me miss it! … You just don’t
want me to stop cooking for you
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
14
p.186
p.265
p.287
p.316
p.316
and taking care of this house, you
don’t want Julian to fall in love
with me.’
‘Sweetheart, I only want to protect
you. It’s wrong, you know, what
you said at Thanksgiving. Love is
not what it’s all about. There are
other things to consider beside,
all kinds of other issues.’
Since she’d met Julian she’d
grown so airy … So flippant.
Lacking in depth.
He was flooded by a subtle blend
of tarragon and cream and home.
‘I’m afraid she’s left me … And
not even for a decent reason …
Or for any reason. I mean our
marriage was working out fine;
that much I can swear to. But
she’d worn herself a groove or
something in that house of hers,
and she couldn’t help swerving
back into it.’
‘I got the funniest feeling, like the
car was driving her.’
Rose’s character is a mixture of conventional female roles and unconventional ones.
Why do you think the author has chosen to include this character?
Is Rose the object of Julian’s pure love?
Does Rose feel any differently towards Julian than to her brothers?
Is it a good solution for Julian to move into the Leary household?
Why do you think Rose’s romance and marriage is included in the novel?
Julian Edge
Page
p.81
p.81
p.173
p.203
p.259
Quotation
What it reveals about his character
‘Macon … I really hate a man with
an obnoxious dog. I don’t hate
just the dog. I hate the man who
owns him.’
A dashing sailor, a speedy driver,
a frequenter of singles bars, he
was the kind of man who would
make
a
purchase
without
consulting Consumer Reports.
‘I’ll take the turkey,’ Julian said
firmly.
‘I want to do everything right. I
want to join a real family. God,
Macon, isn’t it amazing how two
separate lives can link up
together?
I
mean
two
differentnesses.’
‘She’s not so bad. I don’t think
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
15
p.317
p.345




you’re family understands how
you’re feeling.’
‘Macon … I care about that sister
of yours more than anything else
in the world … And I care about
you, too, Macon. Why, you’re my
best friend! At least, I hope so.’
‘He’s moved in with Rose and
your brothers.’
In how many ways is Julian similar to Macon?
In how many ways is he different?
Macon often feels hostility toward Julian. How do you account for this?
Is there any sign of Macon’s hostility lessening as the novel progresses? If so,
how do you account for this?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
16
Section 5. Issues and Themes
Human responses to evil in the world
Questions for students
1. Describe Ethan’s death. Do you see it as the consequence of evil in the world, or
can you explain it in different terms?
2. pp.16-17: Macon recalls Ethan’s death with very little anger against the criminal
who fired the gun. How many other people does he manage to blame? How
would you describe his attitude?
3. p.137: Sarah sees Ethan’s death as evidence that people are evil. She asserts
that this is an attitude that Macon has held all along. Do you think that Macon
thinks this way about other people?
4. p.21 Sarah imagines having her revenge on Ethan’s murderer. Macon says that
this is bad for her, and she attacks him verbally. What do you think this exchange
shows about each character?
5. p.140 Sarah and Macon differ over the question of having feelings and showing
them. Why are their differences so important at this stage? Why can they not
simply accept each other’s differences?
6. Apart from Ethan’s murder, can you find any other examples of evil in the world in
this novel? Do you think that Anne Tyler believes in good and evil, or does she
seem to promote the view that different events happen, bringing both joy and
sorrow?
Haves/have nots
Questions for students
1. Nine out of the twenty chapters are set in Singleton Street, where Macon moves to
live with Muriel. Singleton Street is Struggle Street. The settings of the remaining
chapters are divided between Sarah and Macon’s marital home, the Leary
grandparents’ home, and the locations that Macon visits on his business trips.
2. Students should list the characters that appear in Singleton Street, and the
characters that commonly appear in the two Leary houses.
3. Describe the pattern of employment amongst the people of Singleton Street. How
are the members of the Leary family employed? How is Muriel employed?
4. What is evidence is there that the Leary family, and their associates, are not
wholly dependent for their incomes on paid employment? From where else do
you think they gain their income?
5. What is Muriel’s educational background? How does it compare with that of
Macon? Does this difference surprise you? Explain your response.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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17
6. What kind of food is Macon used to, and how does he usually eat his meals?
What kind of food does Muriel give her child? Account for the difference.
7. How does Muriel spend her holiday, and what experience does Macon have of
holidays?
8. p.168: Muriel called her son Alexander because she thought it sounded highclass. What does this show about Muriel? We do not know why Macon and
Sarah called their son Ethan. Does this point to a difference between the two
attitudes to life?
9. Where does Muriel obtain her clothes and how does she clothe Alexander? What
kind of clothes interest Macon at different times, and how does he regard them?
10. p.184: Consider the Leary’s habit of correcting people’s use of language, whereas
in Muriel’s case, ‘It seemed she used words as a kind of background music.’ Do
you think that this is due to the difference in their socio-economic standing, or do
you think the difference is due to something else? If it is, then explain what you
think causes the difference.
11. Students should study the four occasions where a character appears in an
unusual social setting. (Muriel’s visits to the Leary house, while training Edward,
are business visits, and can be studied separately.)
 p.215: Macon visits Muriel’s parents at Christmas
 p.229: Charles visits Muriel’s house to find Macon
 p.264: Muriel attends Rose and Julian’s wedding
 p.283: Muriel goes to supper at Rose and Julian’s apartment.
In each case, to what efforts does the unusual visitor (the fish out of water, so to
speak) go to please the dominant group? To what efforts do the members of the
dominant group go to make the unusual visitor feel welcome?
12. p.246: What is implied in the term ‘this Muriel person’ that Macon’s associates
tend to use about Muriel? Sarah pretends that she cannot remember Muriel’s
name (p298). Is this another way of saying ‘this Muriel person’, or is it something
even more insulting?
13. While visiting her parents’ house at Christmas, Muriel removes a photograph and
gives it to Macon. It shows Muriel as a toddler climbing out of a wading pool.
p.228: ‘She meant to give him the best of her. And so she had. But the best of
her was not that child’s Shirley Temple hairdo. It was her fierceness – her spiky,
pugnacious fierceness as she fought her way toward the camera with her chin set
awry and her eyes bright slits of determination. He thanked her. He said he
would keep it forever.’
What further examples of Muriel’s fierceness can you pinpoint?
To what extent is her fierceness the result of her impoverished background?
How might a person from a more privileged background display the same quality?
14. p.220: Muriel’s mother questions Macon’s motives with the words, ‘You’re not just
leading this child around Robin Hood’s barn now, are you?’ Do you think Macon is
exploiting Muriel or do you think Muriel is exploiting Macon, or do you think they
have an equal well-balanced relationship? Give reasons for your answer.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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18
15. Possessions give power to some of the characters in this novel. Some of the
characters who lack power lack possessions too. Although Muriel is poor, she is
seldom a victim of her circumstances. From where does she derive her power?
Grief and bereavement
According to the psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, there are five stages of grief that
the terminally ill experience when told of their illness. They are:
1. Denial:
2. Anger:
3. Bargaining:
4. Depression:
5. Acceptance.
When The Accidental Tourist was written, these stages were commonly held to apply
to people grieving the loss of someone whom they loved. (Bargaining, with a
supreme power, only makes sense in the case of terminal illness, not of death.) Anne
Tyler may have based her characters’ grief on the four remaining stages.
These stages do not necessarily follow each other at a steady pace. They can
vacillate and also overlap each other. Students should look for evidence of Macon
and Sarah experiencing these stages of grief. The following chart will assist with this.
Students will need two copies, one for each character.
1. Macon’s grief 2. Sarah’s grief
Stage
Evidence that the character experienced this stage of grief
Denial: the
person is still
alive
Anger: at
other people
or at the
dead person
or at oneself
Bargaining
N/A
Depression:
not eating,
not sleeping,
loss of
energy,
feeling
worthless
Acceptance:
accepting the
fact, and
perhaps
feeling sad,
but able to
cope.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
Page no
19
1. Do Sarah and Macon seem to experience the same aspect of grief at the same
time?
2. To what extent do they seem to be able to help each other to progress through the
stages of grief?
3. What prevents them from helping each other more?
4. A more recent idea of what is involved in grief is the concept of ‘Grief Work’. This
is commonly summarised in the acronym, TEAR.
T = To accept the reality of the loss
E = Experience the pain of the loss
A = Adjust to the new environment without the lost object
R = Reinvest in the new reality
Anne Tyler may have been aware of this concept as it was first being articulated while
she was writing this novel. Even if she was not aware of it, it still affords a useful way
of thinking about her characters’ grief.
Students might benefit from considering the following questions.
T = To accept the reality of the loss
1. Macon and Sarah have different attitudes to Ethan’s possessions (p.140). Macon
gives them away to the neighbours. Sarah thinks that this is improper behaviour
in Macon. Yet Macon needs to keep Edward (p.91), while Sarah parts with him
easily. Does either of these facts reflect the degree to which each parent has
accepted the reality of their loss? If yes, explain how? If no, explain what you
think these differences do reveal about each character.
2. pp.313–4: Macon identified Ethan’s body. Is it possible to believe that Sarah
never saw it? How do you think the sight of his body might have affected each
parent? Would it have necessarily convinced them both of the reality of his death?
Give reasons to explain your answer.
3. p.4: Try to explain why Sarah thinks that she is more in need of comfort than
Macon.
4. Explain how Macon’s dreams of Ethan, and his inability to speak about him, might
suggest that he may not have fully accepted the reality of the loss? At what point
do you think he does fully accept the loss?
5. Does Sarah’s quick dismissal of the idea of having another baby, an idea which
later appeals to her, indicate that she might not have fully accepted the reality of
the loss? Might it suggest anything more?
6. Is it possible that Sarah has to leave her marriage and her former home to avoid
acknowledging her loss, and has to return to them in order to do so fully?
E = Experience the pain of the loss
1. Is there any doubt that either parent experiences pain?
2. Do they fully acknowledge each other’s pain?
A = Adjust to the new environment without the lost object
1. What steps does Sarah take to adjust to the new environment without Ethan?
2. What steps does Macon take, firstly to adjust to the new environment without
Ethan, and then to adjust to the new environment without Sarah and Ethan?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
20
R = Reinvest in the new reality
1. Which partner do you think is first to reinvest in the new reality? When does this
occur?
2. Do you think the second partner has done so by the end of the novel? Give
reasons.
Relationships/marriages
Despite their traditional upbringing, in their grandparents’ house, the Leary siblings do
not regard marriage as a sacrament. Porter and Charles have failed marriages
behind them, and seem content to live celibate lives with their siblings. Rose, who
sings hymns around the house, is eager for her chance to marry, but accepts only
some of the conventional aspects of marriage. For example, a wife must provide
cooked meals for her husband, but need not live with him while doing so.
Macon regards a year of separation, when each partner had new amorous
relationships, as yet another year of his marriage to Sarah, (p.346). His relationship
with Muriel seems to be of a different order. He is happy to accept the benefits that
she brings to him, but does not encourage her to rely on him, and resists her
suggestion that they should marry.
All the children in the novel are born in wedlock, but none continue to live with both
their biological mother and father, although Ethan did until his death.
The only section of the novel that really alludes to sex is the account of one of
Macon’s dreams (p.109). Macon and Muriel sleep together, and later Macon and
Sarah do, but there are no accounts of their passion or lack of passion. Sex is treated
as a form of human contact that is healing to Macon.
Students should consider the following relationships:
Macon/Sarah: Macon/Muriel: Muriel/Norman: Sarah/Anonymous admirer: Rose/Julian
Students should research and then discuss these marriages and marriage-like
relationships using the following set of questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What do the two people find attractive in each other?
Do they get married? If so, why?
What holds them together as a couple?
What difficulties drive them apart?
Where do children fit into the relationship?
When all the relationships have been considered, what are the similarities and
differences between the five relationships?
7. How do you understand Macon’s idea that ‘perfect couples could marry’? (p.282)
8. Do you think the Leary grandparents’ marriage amounted to a perfect marriage or
merely a lasting marriage?
9. Do you think that Anne Tyler is attacking or supporting the institution of marriage
in this book, or do you think she is merely observing and describing it?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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21
Parenthood and children
Ethan
1. What do we know about the way that Sarah mothered Ethan?
2. What was Macon’s relationship with Ethan like?
3. What relationship do you think there is between Ethan’s death and the break-up of
his parents’ marriage?
Alexander
1. What role do you think Alexander played in the break-up of Muriel’s first marriage?
2. Are Alexander’s health problems real or imaginary?
3. Does Muriel love and care for Alexander? Do you think that she is negligent in
any way?
4. How does Alexander benefit from having Macon living in the house?
5. In how many ways do you think Macon behaves responsibly to Alexander?
6. Do you think Macon has any continuing responsibility to Alexander, after he leaves
Muriel? Does Macon seem to think so, too?
Porter’s children
1. Is Porter a responsible father? Give reasons for your answer.
2. Does Porter consider his former wife to be a responsible mother? Give reasons
for your answer.
3. Do you see links between the behaviour of Porter’s former wife and Macon and
Porter’s mother?
4. Can you see any evidence to suggest whether or not Porter’s children will grow up
to share any of their father’s and his siblings’ eccentricities.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
22
.
VATE
Purchasers may copy Inside Stories for classroom use
Section 6.
A guided approach to selected passages
p.197: ‘I’ve got a double-barreled shotgun,’ … p.199: end of
Chapter 11.
1. What insights do you gain into Muriel’s character when she pretends to have a
shotgun, and what insights do you gain when Macon says that he believes her?
2. ‘He saw he had done it all wrong.’ What do you think Macon literally did see?
3. Do you think Muriel reached out to Macon from a motive of compassion, or do you
think she had another motive that overrode her compassion? What evidence can
you suggest that might support your point of view?
4. Is Muriel the first stranger that Macon has talked to about Ethan’s death? How
many emotions does he reveal in the long paragraph on p.198? Chart the
emotions, and the words that reveal each one.
5. p.198: When Macon says ‘This is not what I want.’ What does he think he is
declining?
6. Why do you think Macon is so submissive to Muriel’s undressing him?
7. Is Muriel deceiving him at all by telling him ‘just to sleep’?
8. What is the significance of the ‘thin, withered quilt that smelled of bacon grease?’
9. Why do you think Muriel says that she is bashful? Is she being dishonest?
10. ‘About your son … Just put your hand here. I’m scarred, too. We’re all scarred.
You are not the only one.’
Why do you think this thought gives Macon so much comfort at this time?
p.271: Muriel said … p.277: Over the next few days she kept
bringing up France again and again.
1. What happened in the previous chapter that might have unsettled Muriel?
2. Muriel tells the story of the customer at the Rapid-Eze Copy Center whom she
used to date. Muriel is much younger than Macon, but seems to have had many
more partners to ‘date’ than he has. Can you give reasons why this might be the
case?
3. She says of this relationship, ‘It was months before he would spend the night,
even.’ What does this reveal about her attitude to spending the night with a man?
4. Why does this man give her money? How do you think this state of affairs arose?
5. What has Macon been paying for in his time with Muriel? Do you think there is
anything wrong with that? If so, what? If not, why not?
6. Do you think that Muriel is training men in very much the same way as she trains
dogs? If so, what is she training them to do or be?
7. Do you think Muriel is wise to voice her fears of desertion to Macon? Give
reasons to explain your answer.
8. Why do you think Macon is suddenly wondering about whether Sarah is living with
anyone else?
9. What impression of the Singleton Street community do you gain from Muriel and
Macon’s interaction with their neighbours on pp. 273–4?
10. Why do you think Muriel wants to go to Paris so much?
11. What insight did you gain into Muriel’s character when she resigned from her job
without telling Macon? What does it say about Macon that he feels a weight fall on
him when Muriel tells him this?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
24
12. Muriel enters a shop and Macon waits outside. ‘Seeing her go was like shucking
off a great, dragging burden.’ Is this the first time that you have noticed that
Macon feels burdened by Muriel? If it marks a sudden change in him, what do you
think has brought about this change? If you had already noticed this change, what
indications had you seen earlier?
13. What effect do you think Muriel is trying to achieve by constantly asking to go to
France? What advice do you think her mother and her friend Bernice might give
her about what she is doing?
14. Do you think Muriel is trying to provoke Macon, or to bring things to a head, or do
you think she feels that Macon will give in and do what she asks?
p.306: They had lunch at the Old Bay Restaurant … p.309: There
was no other sound.
1. Sarah and Macon had previously visited the Old Bay Restaurant in Chapter 8,
p.122. Sarah has decided that ‘there are worse things than boring.’ How do you
think she has made this discovery?
2. Macon notices change in the restaurant clientele. Do you think that the people
have really changed or do you think the change is in Macon’s outlook? Where do
you think he might have learnt to speculate about what strangers might be saying
to each other?
3. Is there a comparison with Muriel when Macon caresses Sarah’s hand?
4. What do you think is important to Sarah in her description of the man she had
been seeing before Macon returned?
5. How does Sarah’s other man compare with Macon, and which approach does she
decide that she prefers?
6. Sarah is talking about what made her miss Macon. When Macon remembers ‘eck
cetera’, who is he missing?
7. Is Sarah feeling used up? If so, who has had the use of her? Is Muriel feeling
used up? If so, whom does she blame for this? Is this just?
8. ‘After a certain age … you can only choose what to lose.’ Is this a new insight to
Macon? Does it seem to be so to Sarah?
9. What sounds do you think Macon might be missing?
p.345: He spent the afternoon in another stupor … p.353 end of
novel.
1. Sarah is making all the decisions. Is this only due to Macon’s incapacity, or do
you think there are any other reasons?
2. How many possible reasons can you think of to explain why Sarah tells Macon
what his opinion of her sculpture is, instead of asking him his opinion? Which
reason is the most plausible?
3. Why do you think Sarah suddenly wants another baby, and do you think it would
fulfil the purpose that she has in mind? Give reasons for your answer.
4. Sarah’s tells Macon that he ‘could have taken steps’. Macon reflects that ‘he had
not taken steps very often in his life … His marriage, his two jobs, his time with
Muriel, his return to Sarah – all seemed to have simply befallen him.’ Does this
make him an accidental traveller through life? Can you think of any other ideas to
support your opinion on this?
5. Macon says that going back to Muriel is not the easy way out. In your opinion,
what course of action would be the easy way out, and why?
6. What tactics does Sarah use to dissuade Macon from going back to Muriel?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
25
7. Can you understand why Macon considers that his marriage to Sarah will have
future stages? Does he intend to spend the rest of his life with Muriel, or not? Do
you think he will marry her now?
8. What is the significance of the abandoned baggage?
9. On reflection, the boy who helps Macon hail the taxi reminds him of Ethan. So,
what might be the significance of the boy’s formal farewell?
10. What is the significance of Macon’s imagined confetti?
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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26
Section 7. Further activities for exploring the
text
Using the video
The video, The Accidental Tourist, is no substitute for the novel, but it is very faithful to
the novel until the ending, which provides a closure that is not present in the novel. It
could be used as a means of encouraging less confident students to read sections of
the novel closely.
Watching the film may help weaker students gain an understanding of the various
characters, as well as providing an interesting comparison for the class as a whole.
Another way of encouraging students to enter the world of the novel is through roleplay. This helps them to understand the emotions and motivations of the characters.
The following activities can be used for the first eight minutes of the film.
Role-play: single lesson of approx 45 mins
The scenario is that a twelve-year old boy was murdered during an armed robbery.
His parents are having a conversation one year after the murder. The mother, Sarah,
is a secondary school teacher and had free and easy views about the way that her
son should be brought up. His father, Macon (rhymes with bacon), prefers to focus on
being careful and being safe. Ethan was their only child. The parents both know that
the other partner is devastated and they do not want to hurt each other unnecessarily.
What do you think they might have to say to each other after a year has passed?
Performing with a partner, in a group of four or six, students should act out the
scenario ‘off the cuff’. Then, as a group, they should write a script incorporating ideas
from all the group members. Two members from each group should be nominated to
perform a reading of the resulting script to the class. The reading should take place in
the next lesson, so that students who want to practise reading aloud have the
opportunity to do so.
Studying the exposition
Video study
Play the first eight minutes of the video of the Warner Bros film. Prepare to switch it
off when Macon is shaving, finishing with his comments on Atlanta. Rewind.
Students should be asked to write comments on the conversation between Sarah and
Macon. The following questions might help their writing.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Was your version similar to the video in any way?
Did anything surprise you greatly in the video?
Did one parent seem more selfish than the other? If so, why?
Did one parent seem more reasonable than the other? If so, why?
Did anything strike you as being unlikely?
Students might need to see the video for a second time before answering the
questions. Twice should be enough though, and do not be persuaded to progress
past the 8 minute point at this stage.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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27
Students should compare answers, preferably in a whole class forum, but in small
groups, if this will work better.
If this brings you to the end of a single period lesson, ask students to re-read Chapter
1 before the next lesson. Tell them to bring their books to the next lesson. Chapter 1
will fit onto one A3 size sheet, so it is reasonably easy to provide some photocopies
for the next lesson.
Ask students, possibly working in pairs, to compare the first chapter of the novel with
the opening of the film. The following questions might help.
1. In the video, what have we learnt about Macon, before we see his face? How
would you describe his face? Does the face match the description given on page
1?
2. How are Macon and Sarah dressed in the book and what is different in the video?
How do you account for this difference?
3. The book is set in a car. The video is set in their home. Why might filmmakers
have made this alteration?
4. In the book a rainstorm takes place while they are driving, in the video a storm
rages outside the house. Why do you think the filmmakers have decided to keep
the storm?
5. How does the storm affect Sarah and Macon as they drive? Do you think they
might have stayed together if it had not been for the storm?
6. Do we find out anything about Sarah from the book that we do not find out in the
film?
7. Do we find out anything about Macon from the book that we do not find out in the
film?
8. How does their conversation differ?
9. In the book Sarah says that she would like, in the future, to find a place for herself.
In the video she tells Macon that she has already found one. What is the real
difference?
10. The conversation with Lucas Loomis comes from Chapter 15, p.250. Why do the
film-makers put it at the beginning?
Convince students that they are studying a novel, not a film, and that where
they see differences they must accept the novel as the ultimate authority. They
should use the film to help them to understand the novel.
After discussing their answers, students should copy out the notes on the first five
chapters from the Running Sheet. Ask students to re-read these five chapters before
the next lesson.
In the following table there are suggestions for dividing the film into short
sections, relevant chapters to read alongside these sections of film, and
passages to study in detail alongside the sections of film.
Passages of film
Relevant chapters
8 minutes: switch off after Chapter 1, 2, 3
Macon’s
comments
on
Atlanta
13 minutes: switch off at the Chapter 3, 4
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
The Accidental Tourist
Passages to study
pp.16–18: Ethan’s death
pp.19–22: Sarah and Macon
on the telephone. Compare
this with the film
pp.30–32: Macon’s night on
28
portrait of the four Leary
children
9 minutes: switch off at Chapter 5, 6
Muriel’s pointing finger
29 minutes: switch off as Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Muriel and Macon embrace
in bed
21 minutes: switch off as Chapter 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Rose makes her wedding
vows
5 minutes: switch off as Chapter 17, 18
Macon gazes at the lighted
upstairs window in his old
house
7 minutes: switch off as Chapter 19
Macon enters the aeroplane
for Paris
23 minutes: switch off at the Chapter 20
end of the film
a plane
p.41: Macon’s homecoming
pp.61–5: Passage about
Leary family history
pp.85–8: How Macon got his
job
pp.120–1: Macon and Muriel
quarrel
pp.128–142: Lunch with
Sarah
pp.157–164: Macon’s crisis
in New York
p.277: Muriel’s desire to go
to France
pp.281–2: Muriel’s desire to
get married
pp.284–8: Dinner with Rose
and Julian
pp.309–12:
Macon
and
Muriel’s
telephone
conversation
pp.318–22:
Compare
Macon’s state here with his
state at the end of Chapter 2
pp.14–18.
What has
changed, what has not
changed?
Study the whole of the
chapter very carefully and
note the differences. Part of
this chapter is the final
Passage for Closer Study in
this guide.
An alternative way of using the film.





Play the video in the short sections indicated in the previous table.
Ask students to identify what material included in the novel has been omitted in
the film.
Ask students to identify anything in the film that is not true to the novel.
Study the differences in the portrayal of Sarah in the film and in the book.
Study the differences in the ending of the film.
Muriel’s training of Edward
Seven dog-training lessons take place on the following pages: 97–102, 103–6, 109–
113, 118–21, 165–9, 183–5 and 186–94.
Study each lesson to find out:
 What training techniques Muriel uses.
 What Edward learns.
VATE Inside Stories – Teacher Notes
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29





What Macon learns about Muriel.
What Muriel learns about Macon.
What Macon learns about handling Edward.
Whether Edward’s behaviour bears any relation to Macon’s behaviour or
feelings.
Muriel trains Edward effectively and she trains Macon to handle Edward. Does
she train Macon in life skills too, or in anything else?
English usage
The Leary family members expect people to appreciate the difference between the
following pairs of words and phrases. Students should first make sure that they do
understand these differences.
p.40: Speciality/specialty. Which does Macquarie prefer?
p.82: Momentarily/any moment
p.103: Simple/simplistic
p.135: Doctor/Physician
p.136: As/like
p.141: Attorney/lawyer
p.180: Into/interested in
p.180: Me/I
p.188: Disinterested/uninterested
p.268: Daughter-in-laws/daughters-in-law
p.275: Literally/figuratively
p.287: Nauseous/nauseated
p.308: Eck cetera. What do you think is wrong with this word and why should it not be
used more frequently anyway?
p.311: Enormity/size. Is there a word ‘enormousness’?
p.317: Appraise/apprise
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Macon likes to hear words being used correctly. Do you approve of this or not?
Muriel ‘uses words like background music’, but gets on very well in France
without any French. Can you explain this?
Should adults correct each other’s use of language, or do you think it is rude to
do so?
Should English teachers always correct their students’ use of language?
Why/why not?
Should students correct their teachers’ use of language? Why/why not?
When you hear someone using language incorrectly, how do you feel towards
the person? Is this always fair?
Sarah tells Macon that he does not communicate when he communicates
(p.135) What does this show about Sarah’s powers of communication?
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Section 8. Key quotes
Macon
p.10: He wrote a series of guidebooks for people forced to travel on business.
p.64: He recalled his childhood as a glassed-in place with grown-ups rushing past,
talking at him, making changes, while he himself stayed mute.
p.74: … as if his entire marriage had been just a brief trip elsewhere.
p.123: Sometimes he wished he could stay in his cast forever. In fact, he wished it
covered him from head to foot. People would thump faintly on his chest. They’d peer
through his eyeholes. ‘Macon? You in there?’ Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. No
one would ever know
p.161: Or he wouldn’t have to be carried but only touched, a mere human touch upon
his arm, a hand on his shoulder, something to put him back in connection with the rest
of the world. He hadn’t felt another person’s touch in so long.
p.349: He reflected that he had not taken steps very often in his life, come to think of
it. Really never. His marriage, his two jobs, his time with Muriel, his return to Sarah –
all seemed to have simply befallen him. He couldn’t think of a single major act he had
managed of his own accord
The Leary men
p.11: ‘Everybody knows the Leary men are difficult to live with ... always clamping
down on the world as if they really thought they could keep it in line.’
Sarah
p.139: ‘I’m forty-two years old. I don’t have enough time left to waste it holing up in
my shell. So I’ve taken action. I’ve cut myself loose.’
Macon and Sarah
p.134: It had seemed to Macon back then … that their failures were a sign of
something deeper, some essential incompatibility. They had missed connections in
the most basic and literal sense.
p.283: Macon, listening absently … had a sudden view of his life as rich and full and
astonishing. He would have liked to show it off to someone. … But the person he
would have liked to show it to was Sarah.
p.298: So here they were in their same old positions, he could have said: He had won
her attention only by withdrawing.
p.346: ‘I consider last year just another stage in our marriage.’
p.351: There would probably be still other stages in their thirtieth year, fortieth year –
forever, no matter what separate paths they chose to travel.
Muriel
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p.168: ‘I named him Alexander because I thought it sounded high-class.’
p.184: It seemed she used words as a kind of background music.
p.209: Her youthfulness was not appealing but unsettling. … She was interested in the
appearance of things, only the appearance. … Yet she could raise her chin
sometimes and pierce his mind like a blade.
Macon and Muriel
p.210: Then he knew that what mattered was the pattern of her life; that although he
did not love her he loved the surprise of her, and also the surprise of himself when he
was with her.
Rose
p.128: You would think she had never been warned that outsiders were not to be
trusted.
p.172: ‘I can see what’s what! Just listen to any song on the radio; look at any soap
opera. Love is what it’s all about. On soap operas everything revolves around love.
… And you want to make me miss it!’
p.316: But she’d worn herself a groove or something in that house of hers, and she
couldn’t help swerving back into it.
‘I got the funniest feeling, like the car was driving her.’
Philosophies of life
p.87: ‘While armchair travellers dream of going places,’ Julian said, ‘traveling
armchairs dream of staying put.’
p.104: ‘People just get fixed in these certain frames of other people’s opinions …’
p.254: It occurred to him … that the world was divided sharply down the middle: Some
lived careful lives and some lived careless lives, and everything that happened could
be explained by the difference between them.
p.295: ‘You keep your knees loose. You bend. … You go along with it. You ride it
out.’
p.352: The real adventure … is the flow of time.
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Section 9. Essay topics
Part one
1. In The Accidental Tourist, Macon Leary learns much from Muriel and the other
inhabitants of Singleton Street.
Do you agree?
2. In The Accidental Tourist, Macon Leary has a wife who doesn’t understand him.
Do you agree?
3. The Accidental Tourist demonstrates that an individual can grow stronger through
adversity.
How does this apply to Macon Leary?
4. In The Accidental Tourist, Muriel Pritchett is a victim of prejudice who is exploited
by Macon Leary.
Do you agree?
5. The Accidental Tourist demonstrates that taking risks in life is often rewarding.
Discuss this idea in relation to Julian, Sarah and Rose.
Part two
1. The Accidental Tourist demonstrates that a journey through grief is necessarily a
lonely journey.
Do you agree?
2. ‘Macon, I think that after a certain age people just don’t have a choice,’ Sarah said.
‘You’re who I’m with. It’s too late for me to change. I’ve used up too much of my
life now.’
How do the people in the Baltimore of the novel value marriage?
3. When Macon begins to feel responsible for Alexander he feels that ‘he is forced to
worry once again about nuclear war and the future of the planet.’
How is parenthood depicted in The Accidental Tourist?
4. ‘Ever since Ethan died I’ve had to admit that people are basically bad. Evil,
Macon.’
How do the people of Baltimore display good and evil in their dealings with each
other in this novel?
5. When Charles visits Macon in Singleton Street, Macon ‘felt like someone
demonstrating how well he got on with the natives.’
What differences are there between the people he meets in Singleton Street and
the people with whom Macon usually lives?
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Section 10. References and resources
1. References and resources
The Accidental Tourist, Vintage, London, 1992.
The Accidental Tourist, film, Warner Brothers, 1995
Encarta Encyclopedia for information on Baltimore
TLC Group Publications for information on grief: TLC Group grants anyone the right
to use this information without compensation so long as the copy is not used for profit
or as training materials in a profit-making activity such as workshops, lectures, and
seminars, and so long as this paragraph is retained in its entirety.
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