Re: Waker
Mark (sheely@ONLINE.EMICH.EDU)
Wed, 17 Sep 1997 10:12:52 -0400 (EDT)
On Tue, 16 Sep 1997, Becky Spiro Green wrote:
> Been thinking about some reasons we might be fascinated
> by Waker.
>
> His name. Does everyone in the Glass family have a symbolic
> name? Is Waker almost the same name as Seymour? He's
> more awake than others. His eyes are more open. He sees more.
I agree, His name definitely is cool.
>
> He gave away his Davega bicycle. Someone wanted something;
> Waker had it to give; it didn't occur to him NOT to give it.
>
This is the key one for me. I spent a long time trying to figure out what
it was that seymour might have said that resolved the family dispute.
I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with the following ideas:
I don't think waker believed that his family gave him the davega bicycle
for his own enjoyment, or for him to keep. I think Waker viewed the bike
as a new tool he had with which to serve others. If the boy (that
schnook) had asked for only a ride, waker would've given it to him - if
the boy had asked for the ride and also for waker's shoes, I think waker
would've happily complied with the request.
I guess the moral would be that the we are to use the gifts that we are
given (whether from god or from our parents) to serve others.
Seymour, in the spirit of waker giving the davega bicycle, makes a great
gift from Buddy - don't you think?
I imagine that seymour would have said something like this to his parents
to bring the family back together that night.
Its fascinating to me to think that waker didn't understand his parents'
point of view. It never occured to him that material possessions were to
be possessed....and its also a challenge to me to be as unpossessive and
giving.
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings,
Mark