The questions at the end of the story will serve as an excellent starting point for your analysis. In particular, however, pay attention to the way the child, Evelyn, is characterized. Think about how old she is and what she might be going through. Look at the way she interacts with the adults. What is her relationship with her parents? Do you find it odd that her father would give her a pickled thumb? What does that say about her father? About Evelyn? Who or what is the Explorer? Is there any reason for us to believe he is real (or not real)? What is the significance of the final sentence and how the Explorer disappears when Evelyn decides to become a doctor? The garden and the shed are both intricately described, more so than perhaps anything else in the story (the garden gets its own section on p. 117). Why? Do the items that the Explorer has mean anything? What does Evelyn do with the items?