I wanted to answer one of the questions that was not brought up in class today.

The question was: The final chapter seems almost not to belong to the novel as it is separated by 32 years from the main events. In what ways does this ending add to, complicate, or even change the story?

First, I want to disagree with the question! I thought the final chapter fit quite nicely with the novel. Even though it was separated by 32 years from the main events, so was the beginning of the story. Let the Great World Spin started off with a description of John and Ciaran’s childhood, which really helped introduce their characters and begin their stories. The ending is just as fitting because it shows the impact all of these different characters had on the new generation. The ending adds to the cycle of stories that brought all these characters together. Just like its title, the stories of every character continues on as the world spins. By showing how the past affected the future of a character like Jaslyn really solidifies the point Colum McCann’s makes in his title as well as through all the different stories he weaves together.