Let Hope Rise

Part I: The Bronx is Burning

Crimes after crimes, they are devouring the city. Each of these crimes are contributing to the total destruction of the city. The Bronx is literally and metaphorically burning; in the midst of this chaos, the hope is rising.

Part II: The Puzzle is Completed

Meeting the judge, Tillie, Jazzlyn, and tightrope guy in the court on the same day holds great significance. All the scenes and all the characters that seemed autonomous to each other finally got together. When I just started reading Let the Great World Spin, I thoughts this book was encompassed of independent short stories that did not affect each other. However, after reading this scene in the court room, I realized that Colum Macann has been continuously throwing puzzle pieces at the readers. As the judge, Claire’s husband, is handling the case of Tille and Jazzlyn, along with the case of the tightrope guy, all these puzzle pieces that seemed irrelevant to each other fall into piece together. After uniting the city, Phillipe Petit once again unites this book together. The puzzle is completed.

Part III: The Hope is Rising

In the prologue “Those Who Saw Him Hushed,” the readers are witnessing the historical tightrope stunt from the pedestrian point of view. The readers are uncertain of what is really happening and what the the true purpose behind this prologue is. On the other hand, the book ends with Jaslyn proclaiming that “the world is spinning.” By the end of the book the readers are taken to the birds’ eye view, where we know every aspect and purpose of this story. Also book initially takes place in one of the worst neighborhoods of the city. But by the end of the book, the author takes the readers to the upper east side apartment of the city. Gradual improvement is the bridge that connects and runs throughout the story.

One bridge that shocked me the most was the one between Corrigan and the homeless in the beginning of the story. I was shocked at the compassion that Corrigan had for those people who he thought were less fortunate than him. Although the end result was not too great, he was able to humble himself and immerge himself into their culture with the intention of helping them.

The bridge that I really enjoyed was the one that the tightrope walker had with Jazzlyn. The idea of concurrency (Death of Jazzlyn and the tightrope stunt) made me particularly enjoy this bridge.  At the end of someone’s life which I thought was comparable to the destruction of the city, the hope to unite the city yet once again rose.