A Tangled Web is a novel published by L.M. Montgomery in 1931. It is the story of two intermarried families, the Darks and the Penhallows, and is a satire of family interactions. The humor of the story begins immediately when Aunt Becky, the clan's matriarch, announces that one of her family members will receive the heirloom Dark jug.
Instead of naming the recipient at her gathering, Aunt Becky announces her plan to leave the jug with a trustee who knows her wishes and will name the recipient after a year. Aunt Becky names Dandy Dark as her trustee, and her conditions are puzzling. She tells her family that she may have already named the recipient of the jug in a letter given to Dandy, or she may have instructed that the winner be settled by lot, or lastly, she may give Dandy the power to choose the recipient himself. Aunt Becky warns her family, "in case I have chosen the last alternative, it behooves you all to watch your step from now on." The story has many offshoots as we observe what various characters do to win the Dark jug. Unbelievable at times in its exaggerations of human behavior, this story generates many laughs.
Created March 8, 2002. Re-posted online March 30, 2021. Last updated March 30, 2021.
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