In Henry VanDyke´s The Mansion, Harold wants to be himself and live his life without having it all planned out for him. He wants to accomplish basically simple things such as using his summer vacation to go help with a project and to help a friend who has fallen ill.
The conflict enters when his father John Weightman, however, insists these activities are not a good investment. The older man, who ponders too much about his future wants him to take over his position and move into politics.
Short Description (provided by DeseretBook.com):
John Weightman wanted the best of everything. He surrounded himself with beauty and riches, and was very careful with how he spent his money. “No pennies in beggars’ hats,” he liked to say. Until one night he dreamed that he died . . .
Finding himself with a group of travelers dressed in white, John joins them on their journey to the Celestial City where each individual will be rewarded with a mansion based on treasures set aside. Thinking that his mansion will be the most grand, John Weightman learns what it truly means to lay up treasures in heaven.
Tip! A key strategy to gaining an in-depth understanding of any text is to ask questions. If you ask yourself a series of questions before and during the act of reading a short story, you can deepen your understanding and analysis of any text.
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