Sharon Wagner
Forever...Sharon Wagner is Michael Wagner’s sister, Ike’s wife, and an anthropologist. She enters Katherine’s story through two kinds of welcome: she receives Katherine and Michael at her home in Vermont, then brings her work into Katherine’s school as a Career Day speaker. Her brief warning that Michael is vulnerable complicates that hospitality with a sister’s concern for him.
Identity and Work
Sharon works as an anthropologist at the Museum of Natural History. She hopes to go on a field trip, possibly in the summer, and speaks about her work with Katherine during the visit in Vermont. Her profession gives Katherine a practical reason to invite her to school: the guidance counselor is struggling to find enough interesting Career Day speakers, especially young women, and students rarely have the chance to meet an anthropologist.
Welcome in Vermont
Sharon lives in Vermont with her husband, Ike. Michael tells Katherine that they will visit his sister’s place and that Sharon will call Katherine’s mother with the details. After the drive, Sharon and Ike join Katherine and Michael around the fire, where the four drink coffee with brandy while Sharon describes her job. The visit is an ordinary family gathering, but it also makes Michael’s family part of Katherine’s experience rather than leaving their relationship confined to the two teenagers.
Concern for Michael
During the visit, Sharon tells Katherine that Michael seems vulnerable because he is open, and says she would not want to see him get hurt. She does not look at Katherine as she says this; instead, she looks in the mirror and rubs ointment on her lips. Katherine is left uncertain whether Sharon suspects her of using Michael. The remark therefore lands both as affection for her brother and as an unspoken test of Katherine’s intentions, although Sharon does not explicitly accuse her.
Career Day
Sharon accepts Katherine’s invitation to speak at the school’s April Career Day. On the last Thursday of the month, Katherine serves as hostess to Sharon and Grandma and has lunch with them in the teachers’ cafeteria. Sharon and Grandma get along well, trading anecdotes about their work. At the assembly, Sharon gives a short career talk; afterward, students choose groups to visit with three speakers. Sharon and Grandma are among the most popular guests, filling classrooms at all three sessions. The event fulfills Katherine’s effort to bring an anthropologist to her classmates and demonstrates Sharon’s willingness to share her professional life with a younger audience.
