The symbolism is a bit more complex and far more ironic than that, but that's the basic idea: the joy that is expected to be there is revealed as being absent. It is not until the next chapter that it is revealed her name is Joy. The first thing the reader learns is that she has disappeared. The second thing the reader learns about the matriarch of the clan is that she has a new bike and it is gone. The entire story serves as a symbol to set up the idea that fate is never completely random because choices are always being made. Very pleased with himself, he drives off with expectations of makeup sex with his wife for a Valentine's Day fail only to wind up being instantly killed in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler. It is a short story-within-the-story about a man coming across an abandoned bike on the side of the road who steals it and the four apples which apparently spilled from the bike's basket. The PrologueĪ short prologue prefaces the commencement of the narrative and is notable for being essentially unrelated to that narrative. Tennis is a robust symbol, of course, but is primarily represented here by virtue of it not being a team sport and thus the competitive effort is narcissistic, self-centered, and ultimately destructive to the losing player. The entire dynamic of the family at the center of the story is based upon a talent and obsession with tennis. Within the narrative itself, tennis is actually a more significant symbol than falling apples. And, indeed, the story is an exploration of this idea as a major theme. The title of the book is a reference to the adage 'the apple never falls far from the tree.' The meaning of this proverbial wisdom is related to the genetics of inherited character traits, suggesting that offspring can usually be counted upon to act not terribly different from their parents. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Apples never fall