47 pages • 1 hour read
A Ladder to the Sky
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 3, Chapters 4-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of antigay bias, physical and emotional abuse, alcohol addiction, and child death.
Part 3: “Other People’s Stories”
Part 3, Chapter 4 Summary: “The Lamb and Flag, Rose Street”
The next afternoon, Maurice Swift meets Theo Field at The Lamb and Flag pub. Maurice speaks of literary ambition as a ladder to the sky. He tells Theo his wife, Edith Camberley, died after falling down the stairs due to a faulty handrail. Maurice also reveals his son, Daniel Swift, was born through a surrogate.
Prompted by Theo, Maurice confesses he stole and adapted Edith’s manuscript for his novel The Tribesman. During their conversation, Maurice spots his literary rival, Garrett Colby, and his former editor, Rufus Shawcross. On impulse, Maurice introduces Theo to them as his son, Daniel, a deception Theo accepts. That night, Maurice drinks heavily and is haunted by dreams of Edith.
Part 3, Chapter 5 Summary: “The Dog and Duck, Bateman Street”
More than a week later, Theo and Maurice meet at The Dog and Duck. Theo confronts Maurice about his drinking. He then questions Maurice about his mentor, Erich Ackermann, leading Maurice to confess he exploited the older writer for his own career. As his mental state deteriorates, Maurice mistakenly calls Theo by his son’s name, Daniel.
Theo reveals the methodical nature of his research, informing Maurice he traveled to New York to examine the archives of Stori, the magazine Maurice edited.
