Study Guide: “Sticks” by George Saunders
Important Note: This study guide is based only on the provided chapter text and does not use any outside information.
1. Complete Chapter Summary
The story is narrated by a son who remembers his father and a special pole in their yard. Every year, the family participated in a ritual where the father decorated a pole for different holidays and events.
On Thanksgiving night, the father dragged out a Santa suit and dressed a cross-shaped pole with it. Throughout the year, the pole was transformed according to different occasions. During Super Bowl week, it wore Rod’s football jersey and helmet. On the Fourth of July, it became Uncle Sam. On Veteran’s Day, it represented a soldier. On Halloween, it became a ghost.
Although the father enjoyed decorating the pole, he was generally a strict and stingy man. He carefully controlled household resources and discouraged any waste. The children could use only one crayon at a time. He shouted at Kimmie for wasting an apple slice and watched the family closely when they poured ketchup, repeatedly saying “good enough.” Birthday parties were simple, consisting only of cupcakes without ice cream. Because of his unusual behavior with the pole, the narrator’s date once asked about it, leaving him embarrassed and unable to explain.
As the children grew up, left home, married, and had children of their own, they began noticing some of the same tendencies toward meanness within themselves.
Meanwhile, the father’s use of the pole became increasingly complex and difficult to understand. On Groundhog Day, he covered it with fur and used a floodlight to create a shadow. After an earthquake in Chile, he laid the pole on its side and spray-painted a crack in the ground.
When the mother died, the father dressed the pole as Death and hung photographs of her as a baby from it. The pole gradually became surrounded by meaningful objects from his past, including army medals, theater tickets, old sweatshirts, and tubes of the mother’s makeup.
Later, the father painted the pole bright yellow. During winter, he covered it with cotton swabs to keep it warm. He created six smaller crossed sticks around it, treating them like offspring. He connected them with strings and attached index cards containing apologies, confessions of mistakes, and requests for understanding. He also displayed signs reading “LOVE” and “FORGIVE?”
Eventually, the father died alone in the hallway while the radio was playing. After his death, the children sold the house. The new owners removed the pole and the sticks, leaving them by the roadside as garbage.
The contributor’s note explains that the author imagined a person living in a similar house and eventually created a character who was the opposite of that imagined person, leading to the story.
2. Characters
The Father (Dad)
Characteristics
- Strict and controlling
- Careful about waste
- Emotionally reserved
- Creative in expressing himself through the pole
- Deeply affected by his wife’s death
- Seeking love, forgiveness, and understanding in his later years
Evidence
- Limited children’s use of crayons.
- Scolded Kimmie for wasting food.
- Monitored ketchup usage.
- Created increasingly symbolic displays using the pole.
- Wrote apologies and pleas for understanding on index cards.
Development
At first, he appears harsh and stingy. As the story progresses, the pole reveals a more emotional and vulnerable side of him. By the end, the decorations suggest regret, loneliness, love, and a desire for forgiveness.
The Narrator
Characteristics
- Observant
- Reflective
- Embarrassed by his father’s odd behavior
- More understanding of his father as an adult
Evidence
- Remembers childhood incidents clearly.
- Feels embarrassed when his date asks about the pole.
- Later recognizes “the seeds of meanness” within himself.
Mom
Characteristics
- Important emotional figure in the father’s life.
- Her death deeply affects him.
Evidence
- After her death, the father decorates the pole as Death.
- He hangs photographs of her as a baby.
- He keeps her makeup among the objects around the pole.
Rod
- His football helmet and jersey are used on the pole during Super Bowl week.
- Shows how family possessions become part of the father’s displays.
Kimmie
- Mentioned as the child scolded for wasting an apple slice.
3. Important Events in Chronological Order
Childhood Years
- Father decorates the pole for holidays.
- Family participates in annual traditions.
- Father displays strictness and dislike of waste.
- Narrator feels embarrassment about the pole.
Adult Years
- Children leave home and start families.
- Father begins making more complicated displays.
- Groundhog Day fur display.
- Chile earthquake display.
- Mother dies.
- Pole becomes a memorial and emotional symbol.
- Father surrounds pole with personal objects.
- Pole is painted yellow.
- Cotton swabs added for “warmth.”
- Six crossed sticks created as offspring.
- Apology and forgiveness messages attached.
- LOVE and FORGIVE? signs displayed.
- Father dies.
After Death
- House is sold.
- New owners remove pole and sticks.
- Pole and sticks are discarded.
4. Major Themes
1. Hidden Emotions
The father rarely expresses feelings directly. Instead, his emotions appear through the decorations on the pole.
Evidence
- Memorial display after Mom’s death.
- Apology letters.
- LOVE sign.
- FORGIVE? sign.
2. Family Relationships
The story explores relationships between parents and children.
Evidence
- Father’s strict parenting.
- Children’s embarrassment.
- Adult children recognizing their similarities to him.
3. Regret and Seeking Forgiveness
Toward the end of his life, the father appears to reflect on mistakes and relationships.
Evidence
- Letters of apology.
- Admissions of error.
- Pleas for understanding.
- FORGIVE? sign.
4. Loneliness
After Mom’s death, the father appears increasingly isolated.
Evidence
- Strange and personal pole displays.
- Living alone.
- Death in the hallway.
5. Memory and the Past
The father collects objects connected to earlier periods of life.
Evidence
- Army medals.
- Theater tickets.
- Old sweatshirts.
- Mom’s makeup.
- Baby photographs of Mom.
6. Communication
The father struggles to communicate directly with people but communicates through the pole.
Evidence
- Symbolic displays.
- Written messages.
- Emotional signs.
5. Symbolism
The Pole
The central symbol of the story.
Represents
- The father’s personality.
- His emotions.
- His memories.
- His changing mental and emotional state.
- His attempts at communication.
The Cross Shape
The pole is described as a kind of crucifix.
Represents
- A structure used repeatedly for expression.
- A place where the father displays thoughts and feelings.
The Six Crossed Sticks
Represents
- Possible symbolic offspring.
- Family connections.
Evidence:
“provided offspring by hammering in six crossed sticks around the yard.”
Strings and Index Cards
Represents
- Attempts to reconnect.
- Communication.
- Emotional confession.
LOVE Sign
Represents
- Affection.
- Emotional openness.
FORGIVE? Sign
Represents
- Regret.
- Desire for reconciliation.
- Questioning whether forgiveness is possible.
6. Important Lines and Explanations
”The pole was Dad’s only concession to glee.”
Explanation
This line shows that the pole was the one place where the father allowed himself creativity, joy, and self-expression despite being strict in other areas of life.
”We found the seeds of meanness blooming also within us.”
Explanation
The narrator realizes that some of the father’s negative traits have been inherited or learned by the children.
Significance
Shows the influence parents have on their children.
”Letters of apology, admissions of error, pleas for understanding.”
Explanation
These phrases reveal a side of the father that was hidden throughout most of his life.
Significance
Suggests guilt, regret, and emotional vulnerability.
”LOVE”
Explanation
A direct declaration of feeling.
Significance
Contrasts with the father’s earlier emotional distance.
”FORGIVE?”
Explanation
A request rather than a statement.
Significance
Shows uncertainty and remorse near the end of life.
”Then he died in the hall with the radio on.”
Explanation
A simple statement describing the father’s death.
Significance
Highlights loneliness and the ordinary nature of death.
”The young couple… yanked out the pole and the sticks and left them by the road on garbage day.”
Explanation
The new owners remove the father’s lifelong creation.
Significance
Suggests the temporary nature of human efforts and possessions.
7. Important Short-Answer Questions
Q1. How was the pole decorated during different holidays?
Answer
The father dressed the pole according to holidays and events. It wore a Santa suit at Thanksgiving, a football uniform during Super Bowl week, Uncle Sam on the Fourth of July, a soldier on Veteran’s Day, and a ghost on Halloween.
Q2. Why was the father considered strict?
Answer
He carefully controlled resources, limited crayon use, scolded waste, monitored ketchup usage, and kept birthday parties simple.
Q3. What embarrassed the narrator?
Answer
The narrator felt embarrassed when his date questioned his father’s unusual habit of decorating the pole.
Q4. How did the pole change after the children grew up?
Answer
The displays became more complex, symbolic, and difficult to understand.
Q5. How did the father react to Mom’s death?
Answer
He dressed the pole as Death, displayed photographs of Mom as a baby, and kept objects connected to her around the pole.
Q6. What objects were placed around the pole?
Answer
Army medals, theater tickets, old sweatshirts, and tubes of Mom’s makeup.
Q7. What messages were attached to the strings?
Answer
Apologies, admissions of mistakes, and pleas for understanding.
Q8. What signs were displayed near the end?
Answer
The signs read “LOVE” and “FORGIVE?”
Q9. How did the father die?
Answer
He died in the hallway while the radio was on.
Q10. What happened to the pole after his death?
Answer
The new owners removed the pole and sticks and discarded them on garbage day.
8. Long-Answer Questions and Answers
Q1. Discuss the character of the father in detail.
Answer
The father is the central figure of the story. He is initially shown as strict, controlling, and unwilling to waste resources. He limits crayon use, scolds children for wasting food, and carefully monitors household consumption. Despite this harsh exterior, he has a creative side expressed through the pole. Over time, the pole becomes a means of expressing increasingly personal emotions. Following his wife’s death, the decorations become deeply symbolic and emotional. He surrounds the pole with meaningful objects from his life and eventually displays messages of apology and requests for forgiveness. These actions reveal regret, loneliness, love, and a desire for understanding. The story shows that beneath his strict behavior exists a complex emotional life that becomes visible only through the pole.
Q2. Explain the importance of the pole in the story.
Answer
The pole is the most important symbol in the story. At first, it serves as a holiday decoration. As time passes, it becomes the father’s method of expressing thoughts and feelings. The pole reflects different stages of his life and emotional condition. After the mother’s death, it becomes a memorial. Later, it becomes a place for displaying memories, apologies, and declarations of love. The pole functions as a substitute for direct communication. Through it, the father reveals emotions that he cannot easily express in words. Therefore, the pole represents memory, family relationships, emotional expression, regret, and the father’s inner life.
Q3. How does the story show the relationship between parents and children?
Answer
The relationship between the father and his children is complicated. During childhood, the children experience his strictness and often feel controlled by his behavior. The narrator even feels embarrassed by the pole. However, as adults, the children begin to recognize aspects of their father within themselves. The narrator admits that the “seeds of meanness” have begun to appear in them as well. This realization creates a deeper understanding of the father. The story suggests that parents influence children in lasting ways, even when the children do not fully appreciate or understand them during childhood.
Q4. Discuss the significance of the ending.
Answer
The ending is important because it combines sadness, loss, and impermanence. The father’s final displays express love and a desire for forgiveness. Shortly afterward, he dies. The family sells the house, and the new owners remove the pole and sticks, treating them as garbage. This ending emphasizes how personal symbols and creations may lose meaning once their creator is gone. At the same time, the reader understands the emotional importance the pole held for the father. The contrast between its deep personal meaning and its disposal creates a powerful conclusion.
9. Exam-Oriented Revision Notes
One-Line Summary
A strict father uses a decorated pole to express emotions, memories, love, regret, and a desire for forgiveness throughout his life.
Main Characters
- Dad
- Narrator
- Mom
- Rod
- Kimmie
Major Symbols
- Pole
- Crossed sticks
- Strings
- Index cards
- LOVE sign
- FORGIVE? sign
Main Themes
- Hidden emotions
- Family relationships
- Regret
- Forgiveness
- Loneliness
- Memory
- Communication
Key Turning Points
- Children leave home.
- Displays become more symbolic.
- Mom dies.
- Apology letters appear.
- LOVE and FORGIVE? signs appear.
- Dad dies.
- Pole is removed.
Most Important Quotes
- “The pole was Dad’s only concession to glee.”
- “We found the seeds of meanness blooming also within us.”
- “Letters of apology, admissions of error, pleas for understanding.”
- “LOVE”
- “FORGIVE?”
- “Then he died in the hall with the radio on.”
Last-Minute Exam Points
- The father’s personality is revealed indirectly through the pole.
- The pole changes from a holiday decoration into an emotional expression of the father’s life.
- The mother’s death marks a major change in the father’s behavior.
- The father seeks understanding and forgiveness in his final years.
- The story contrasts the father’s strict exterior with his hidden emotional depth.
- The final disposal of the pole highlights the temporary nature of personal creations and memories.