The first chapter of the book introduces us to the two brothers from the isolated by the oceans and rainy area of Dublin, Ireland. The elderly one being the narrator, and the younger one Corrigan. It is important to note that the younger brother’s name is John Andrew, however he goes by Corrigan. The older brother’s name is not yet revealed and it very well may never be revealed throughout the whole book if that is the author’s intention. The only way Corrigan does refer to him is simply as “elder brother”. It is not rare for authors to not have a name of the protagonist revealed in order to try to convey an idea and have the reader be better immersed in the atmosphere and the feelings the narrator experiences. The most recent book which I read that had the same way of delivering the position of the main character is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. It draws a better connection to the character since there is no actual name that applies. It takes away the feeling of being a spectator of the story and forces you to take in primarily only what the protagonist experiences.
In this case the emotions of frustration and helplessness is what speaks out to me by seeing what the narrator goes through. The lack of the ability to change Corrigan and just watch society take advantage of his selfless nature adds to the dark and abusive nature of the Bronx from the elder brother’s eyes. It is a tragic flaw of brother Corrigan and it is something that many people can relate to. Blinded by love towards everyone, Corrigan seemed to never have enjoyed life’s moments as seen from the narrator’s perspective.
Not to repeat what Geevanesam had already explained in the earlier-posted blog post very clearly in terms of relating to the characters and how being a foreigner in NYC might feel like at first, I would like to add some hypotheses of what the author might have for us in later in the book. By setting a negative tone and a feeling of helplessness and having the protagonist be presented in such a way, we the readers might become more prone to believing that we truly have a connection to this character and that his perspective on life – is our perspective also. However, as the book goes on, we might be later challenged to these initial views which we gain from the first chapter.
Interestingly enough, perhaps the Colum McCann is trying to tell us his personal by keeping the uncertainty of knowing who exactly is the elderly bother in the story since he is also from Dublin.
