To be honest, I really didn’t see Smithy getting hit coming. I don’t understand how his bike getting destroyed could further progress the story, considering it’s from his childhood. I thought he was going to go all the way to California on that bike, and now it’s gone. How exactly does this work with the story at hand?!
Then again, I guess this book is more about telling a realistic story than about shaping the plot-line and the events occurring within around the story the author wants to tell. So, no matter how much I don’t like it/don’t understand it, Smithy got hit and that’s that.
For those that haven’t done the reading yet, or have done the reading and have a different suggestion, what do you think Raleigh getting destroyed does to progress the plot of the story?
Yeah, doing the whole journey on the bike would have been satisfying, but I do think forcing Smithy to find another way makes it more interesting. People were also talking about Raleigh as getting back to his childhood & I don't think that's necessarily a good goal for Smithy -- he needs to be figuring out how to live his adult life instead. Taking Raleigh out of the picture is one of the first steps.
ReplyDeleteSince Smithy gets a new bike at the end of the reading we did for today, I think that he is sort of passing into a new stage in his life, growing up, allowing things to change. Had he used his Raleigh all the way, it would be like he was just going back to being a kid. While that might be better than his current situation, I think the fact he got a new ten-speed bike shows that he is actually becoming more than he once was.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this was an interesting way for the story to turn. Something had to happen though in his narration of the story of the journey. If he had kept going all the way to Denver in the same way, I think the story would have gotten boring really fast. I wasn't too fazed by the bike getting destroyed itself, as Smithy has shown that he is capable of purchasing any equipment that he may need, and we haven't heard him mention any shortages of money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adina, I think that his Raleigh was the only thing that he brought on his journey that connected him with his past. As Smithy is riding along this journey, he is changing. Evolving from his past. I think the Raleigh was just holding him back.
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