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Upon initially reading “Let the Great World Spin”, in the first book the reader gets to meet lovable Corrigan. His infectious personality made it hard for a person not to like him. “Who sparked people alive, but there was something about him that made dislike difficult”. I chose Corrigan because I truly fell in love with his giving personality. Ever since he was young he has put the needs of others before his own. His selflessness could be seen from childhood and he continued to be this way when he grew up. When he snuck out of his home to give away his blanket, this act truly showed the willingness of Corrigan. He then started to morph with these people he was helping. Others would see his acts as stupidity for helping homeless people who have no intention of changing their ways but Corrigan saw this as an opportunity to get down with these people and be in their shoes. I really liked Corrigan’s development throughout the story because we can see how prayer is such a big part of his life. In his childhood when he would go to sleep, he would utter his prayers. His prayers not only led him to join this group called Brussels where he has other brothers who take vows and complete actions like himself. When Ciaran came to visit his brother in NYC the vibe was completely different then what was going on in Ireland. Reading about Corrigan’s lifestyle could be completely mind-boggling because of the aspect that he doesn’t lock his doors at all. It would be pretty hard to find someone who leaves their apartment open to basically anyone in NYC. Corrigan also allows these women who are prostitutes to come in and out as they pleased. I love how he is able to look past the fact that these women sell their bodies for money but people who are simply acting out of fear. He wants the best for everyone even if its hard to see that at the moment but him being there for those women was his way of letting them know they don’t have to go down this path. You don’t have to let fear dictate how to live your life. I found it especially interesting that Corrigan wants to be a priest and is very holy but forgets to mention or speak about the Lord to these women. Also, the notion of his father gets him very upset to the point where he even curses. There is this one scene where Ciaran is prodding his brother about missing their father’s funeral. Corrigan readily takes the pain of others but never takes the time to deal with his own pain. I found this so interesting because it reveals how human he is. Everybody makes mistakes and dealing with problems can be hard, the reader can see that especially when Corrigan deflects his father’s funeral and speaks about the bible piece that was used. He blows up in front of his brother and shuts the conversation down. I feel like Corrigan is just trying to do right but in his own way. Helping these prostitutes or the elderly people he would drive around shows how much people truly take him for granted but he is happy to be used. Corrigan’s love for Jesus brought him to follow this lifestyle and ultimately devote his time to others. Corrigan’s humbleness, love, and even holiness are what make him so unique and interesting.
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Great analysis on Corrigan, you follow his development as a character very well. Corrigan is truly that rare breed of person, a giver. Your title is funny, but I think it also really gets at that point, as he’s not religious in the sense that many Christians are; he doesn’t do good because he wants to go to heaven or because he’s afraid of eternal damnation. He rather connects with the Christ aspect of lifting others up with no regard for one’s self. Like Christ in the Bible, he not only helps others, but he also takes on their pain for himself.
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