Love Medicine
Detail of beadwork from an Ojibwe medicine pouch
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Barry and Edgar
Does any one think that Barry is somewhat like Edgar in the way that they both have a purpose or a sense of responsibility over another person? Edgar's life purpose is to find that mailman who ran over his head and tell him that he's not dead. I feel like that's going to happen at the end of the book. Barry's responsibility is to take care of Edgar. I thought his intents were good at first, but not anymore. Edgar also needs Barry. Eventhough Edgar doesn't like Barry's visits, he still look forward to them. Barry is the only consistent thing in Edgar's life.
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4 comments:
Great comparison, Bah. I also wonder if the book will end with some kind of twist, revealing the mailman as someone Edgar may actually know, or if Barry may have known who the mailman was all along. I guess we'll see.
I agree. They are very similar characters. Barry and Edgar were, also, both abandoned by their biological families too. Edgar feels responsibility for Cecil and the mailman just like Barry feels responsible for Edgar. Both characters are trying to find a family to fill a hole, which is similar to what Lana is doing by taking in animals, foreigners, and Edgar.
I don't know if Edgar looks forward to Barry's visit but he doesn't seem to mind. Other than that they are very similar characters.
I don't think Edgar needs Barry. He does say no to Barry at the Mormon's house and I think if Barry didn't come so soon that he would have had the guts to completely say no to Barry and even tell his family that Barry is psycho. I believe the reason why he tolerates him is because he is scared, he is something somewhat familiar (Edgar is always in change so it is human to cling to something familiar when change is about you), and he can help him find the mailman.
I don't think they are that similar either. Yes they do have that lack of love theme but I think they are completely different characters. They might have stemmed from the same problem but they way they handle and do things are completely different from eachother.
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