Corrigan and his Selflessness

John Andrew Corrigan is, in my opinion, the most interesting character in Let the Great World Spin because he is a giving and selfless character, despite not even having too much to give in the first place. He was a very religious child: one that would constantly be praying, to the point where it annoyed his brother Ciaran. He gave his blankets to homeless people even though it got him in trouble with his mother. When he began drinking at twelve or thirteen, I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting him to do so, but after finishing the book and learning more about who Corrigan really was, I now think he began drinking simply to help those that were drunk by talking to them, or even giving them money. Corrigan is a man that is willing to sacrifice his possessions or even wellbeing to help others out. Him drinking just to get drunk doesn’t make sense with his character, as even his brother says that he would never drink unless the bottle was passed to him. Additionally, I doubt that he would drink just to be “a bad teenager” because that too doesn’t fit his innocent nature. When Corrigan is in the Bronx (where the Order assigned him), he still helps others. He helps prostitutes in the project he’s living in by leaving his bathroom available to them to use. He gets beaten for doing this, but he continues to do it either way because of his selfless nature. I’m drawn to Corrigan because of this very fact. It reminds me of the story of Capitan America: a true hero who, although not strong physically (not initially anyway), is selfless and willing to sacrifice themselves to help others. His life, full of hardships (like living with a single mother), is still a very selfless one. His selflessness even gets him killed when he was trying to get Jazzlyn back home from jail. Corrigan stands out among all the other characters because of his troubled past, selfless character, and also tragic end. He didn’t have much to offer others, but he tries to help with what he can. This included his home, safety, and eventually, even his life, which is why Corrigan stood out to me as the most interesting character in this book.