A Summary of Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Meet the Writer u u u u Born August 22, 1920 Waukegan, IL Moved to Hollywood Wrote Fahrenheit 451 “Magic Realist” Library Education Warns Against Blind Faith in Science

Introduction u u u u u Dandelion Wine was a surprise. Word Associations became a game. Wine metaphor Returned to hometown to collect memories for his book for ten years Boyhood friend “John Huff” Loved his family passionatley Came along the best methods for writing through ignorance and experimentation “Ugliness is a concept that we happen on later. ” “Byzantium” poem sums up Bradbury’s perspective

Waking Up to Summer Meet Doug Spaulding u Wake Up Greentown u Summer 1928 u Grandparents’ Cupola u Sorcerer Metaphor u

I’m Alive! Picking Fox Grapes u Meet Doug’s Father u Meet Doug’s Brother, Tom u Beast Metaphor u Wrestling Scene u Carrying Heavy Pails u Doug Realizes His Mortality u

Dandelion Picking u u u Meet Doug’s Grandfather Pays 10 cents/ bag for dandelions “Pride of Lions” in the yard Grandfather sees dandelion as “noble” thing. “Dandelion wine was summer caught and stoppered. ”

Boys of Summer Meet Doug’s Best Friends, Charlie Woodman and John Huff u First “Rite” of Summer, Dandelion Picking u Second “Rite” of Summer, New Tennis Shoes u

The Shoe Store u u u Meet Mr. Sanderson, Shoe Store Owner Doug asks for a job to buy shoes Pet Store Metaphor

u “Discoveries & Revelations” Doug’s u “Rites & Ceremonies” Journal

Porch Swing Summer rituals u “Night Festivals” u Neighbors in Greentown gathered on front porches in the evenings after dinner u Children felt reassured u

Happiness Machine u u u u Meet Leo Auffmann “Get out of that graveyard” Meet Lena Auffmann Meet Leo’s six children Happiness invented in garage Makes family unhappy Happiness machine burns Metaphor for Television

Doug’ Lateness u u u Doug doesn’t come home with family. Tom gets ice cream Meet Doug’s mother Tom’s experiences with death The Ravine Doug is reprimanded

The New Grass u u u Meet Bill Forrester, newspaper journalist “God bless the lawn mower. ” New grass never needs cutting Grandfather pays Bill to dispose of new grass Bill shows respect to Grandpa

Leo Auffmann Again u Realizes that “true happiness” is found in family and friends u Recognizes four stages of life: birth, growing up, growing old, and death u “The first thing you learn in life you’re a fool. The last thing you learn in life is that you’re the same fool. ”

The Rug u Tom sees the entire town in the rug u The rug is 15 years old, covering all of the events of Doug’s short life u The rug is similar to Dandelion Wine because it captures memories u The adults view parts of rug as natural while the boys view it with imagination

Mrs. Bentley u u u u Age 72 Widow Newcomer to Greentown A “Saver” Children do not believe she was young once. They take her artifacts. She concedes and becomes their friend.

Time Machine u u u u Meet Colonel Freeleigh Over 100 years old Lives alone Doug and his friends enjoy hearing his stories of the old days. Civil War Ching Ling Soo Pawnee Bill Dies while on the phone to Mexico

The Green Machine u u u u Meet Miss Fern and Miss Roberta Old Maids who live with brother Purchased Model T from smooth talking salesman Hit-n-Run with Mr. Quartermain Women in the attic for fear of arrest Found out he did not die Decided to put the car away for good

The Trolley u u u Meet Mr. Tridden He is retiring The trolley will be replaced by busses. He takes the children for one last ride to Chessman’s Park They eat lunch together “School busses! Won’t even give us a chance to be late to school. ”

Facts About John Huff u u u u Doug’s very best friend Age 12 He could pathfind more trails than any Choctaw. Could leap from the sky like a chimpanzee from a vine. Could hold his breath underwater for two minutes Could slide fifty yards Could hit baseballs into apple trees Could jump six-foot orchard walls.

Ran laughing u Sat easy u Was not a bully. u Was kind. u Knew the words to all the cowboy songs and would teach you if you asked. u Knew the names of all the wild flowers and when the moon would rise or set and when the tides came in or out. u

“He was, in fact, the only god living in the whole of Green Town, Illinois, during the twentieth century that Doug Spaulding knew of. ”

Moving Away u u u John Huff was moving. Doug was very upset. Tried to stop time. Played “Statues” Doug worried they would forget each other. Made a pact with Tom never to leave him.

Witchcraft u u u u Meet Sam & Elmira Brown Sam is the mailman Elmira is nosey and clumsy She is also a hypochondriac She is jealous of Clara Goodwater Accuses her of being a witch Gets sick and falls down a flight of stairs Tom is her “innocent”

The Newspaperman & the Swan u u u u Meet Helen, age 95. Bill Forrester, age 31, has crush on a woman he sees in a photograph. They meet in an ice cream shop. They have tea each day and visit about her travels. Reincarnation is considered. The swan vs. dragon metaphor offends Helen dies in the end. Bill wants to wait to meet up with her in another life.

The Lonely One u u u u Meet Lavinia Nebbs. Independent, beautiful and headstrong She and her friends discover the body of a murdered girl in the ravine while they are on the way to the movies. Lavinia decides to walk home alone. Meet the Lonely One. The killer does not fit the profile. His killing spree ends.

The Lonely One Revealed

Great-Grandma u u u u Meet Doug’s Greatgrandma. She is a hard worker. She is ready to die. She requests no “Halloween Party. ” She comforts Doug about death. Doug realizes he will die someday. His great-grandma dies that summer.

The Tarot Witch u u u u The tarot witch sat in a“glass coffin. ” For a penny she would tell your fortune. Meet Mr. Black, proprietor of the penny arcade. Doug’s fortune says he will live a long life. Tom’s card is blank. The word “Secours!” stands out. The boys rescue the tarot witch.

Mr. Jonas u u u Meet Mr. Jonas. He use to be an executive, but now is a junkman. Doug has a high fever. Tom’s method is more accurate than thermometer. Mr. Jonas helps Doug recover.

Grandma’s Kitchen u u u Meet Doug’s Grandma Meet Aunt Rose rearranges Grandma’s kitchen and makes the food taste horrible. Grandpa instructs Doug to put the kitchen back, burn the cookbooks and hide grandma’s glasses. They send Aunt Rose packing.

Summer’s End u u u u School supplies for sale 90 bottles of dandelion wine Grandpa remembers new grass. “As you get older, the days blur together. ” Doug is back where he started, but putting Green. Town to bed this time. Next summer will be even bigger. Dandelion Wine is a nostalgic, “coming of age” novel.

The End