The Assistant Weekly Study Guide Answer

Family

In Morris' family, he and his wife argued because of poverty. His wife, Ida, hoping to amend her family, will criticize him for small mistakes that brought their profit down. "[Morris] often hid unpleasant news from [Ida] because she made it worse" (46). At the same time, Morris felt sorry that he couldn't provide good education to his daughter. "[Helen] made him put the five away. [Morris] did, with renewed shame. ‘What did I ever give you? Even your college education I took away'" (20).

Friendship

In the book, Helen‘s friendship with her friends was fragile since everyone was going different direction of life. "But as her high school friends had got married, she had one by one given them up; and as other of them graduated from college, envious, ashamed of how little she was accomplishing, she stopped seeing them too"(42).

Also in the book, Morris developed a friendship with Frank after he was rescued by Frank. He started to teach Frank to run the grocery store and other things. "Signing, [Morris] said, ‘Without education you are lost.' Frank nodded" (83).

Romantic

In the book, Helen had relationships with Nat, Louis, and Frank. Helen was attracted by Nat, for he is smart with a bright future with education. But she knew Nat only wanted her body. "[Helen] wanted, simply, a future in love…Not the loving, but that it had taken [Helen] so long to realize how little [Nat] wanted" (14).

In the other hand, Louis was a flirty person. "[Louis's] arm tightened around her waist. ‘Talk is too cold, baby, how's about a kiss?'"(43)He liked Helen, but he couldn't understand her. "'I ain't gonna stop anybody from being better," Louis said, ‘That's up to them. 'I suppose,' [Helen] said" (43)

And Frank, at first, was attracted