“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” – Leonardo da Vinci
After reading the prologue, this was the first thing that came to mind. For years this quote by Leonardo da Vinci has rang through my head whenever I had felt lost or was at a standstill in my life. As the people of Manhattan watch a man tightrope between the Twin Towers, some had their faces pointed directly at the sky watching the fate of this foolish man and others were too absorbed by their daily tasks. My biggest question for those that could not spare a moment to look is, why? Why be so consumed with your routine that you have to miss out on the spectacular things occurring around you? This makes me come to the conclusion that maybe these people have not truly experienced flight because if they did they would try to be apart of the world around them. McCann even describes the setting by stating that the man was visible from all parts of the city as if being the focal point from which everything else expanded from.
The first chapter begins with two brothers and their mother that live in Dublin, Ireland. After their mother’s death, Corrigan finds himself joining the Order and stationing in an apartment in the Bronx while the narrator remains in Dublin. They eventually meet up again and this is where we get an in depth look at the person that Corrigan really is. All his life he has preferred to live and be surrounded by the unfortunate people of society such as hookers, junkies, and vagrants. I connect most with this character as he reminds me both of myself and my very religious aunt. As a frequent Criminal Minds and Law and Order viewer, I know that the world offers many threats; however, just as Corrigan tells his brother that he is not worried by the “tough looking” people I feel the same exact way. My aunt basically gives her life to God and because of this her and Corrigan share many similarities. This has caused me to lose a connection with the narrator since I know that he does not have a full understanding of what what his brother is trying to do. From the moment he gave his blanket away to when he saved Jazzlyn from the Tombs, his life is sacrifice which is why I idolize him.
