I. Judge Soderberg’s monologue in Let the Great World Spin and the documentary Man on Wire provide two different perspectives on crime. Soderberg describes horrific crimes such as rape, murder, and theft that fill the city. On the other hand, Phillipe Petit’s crime is recognized as a work of art because it involves passion rather than necessity. The intent of the crimes is what makes Petit’s admirable, and the crimes Soderberg accounts for as immoral. While Petit’s crime unites the city through its beauty, the crimes Soderberg speaks of spawn from selfishness and defiance.
II. By doubling up the two cases of Tillie and Jazzlyn and Petit, the contrast of crimes discussed in Part I is revealed but with a twist. In the case of Tillie and Jazzlyn, Soderberg immediately views Tillie as a defiant criminal because of her appearance and obnoxious behavior in the courtroom. She wears a one-piece bathing suit with high heels, and blows kisses to men in the room. Because of this, Soderberg does not view her as a person and sees her as just one of the criminals listed in his monologue. It is not until Soderberg realizes that Jazzlyn is Tillie’s daughter that he feels any compassion for the girls. In this situation, he has an understanding for both Tillie and Jazzlyn and Petit’s case. Tillie and Jazzlyn may have committed multiple crimes, but their loving relationship is what softens Soderberg’s heart. In Petit’s case, he understood Petit’s motive for walking between the towers, and did not want to punish him severely for something he thought was beautiful. The doubling up of these two central events reveal both a contrast and connection between the cases which occur by accident, but hold great significance.
III. The prologue of Let the Great World Spin begins with Petit tightrope walking between the Twin Towers during a regular, chaotic New York City morning. While most people would rush to their jobs or appointments they have that day, it is Petit’s spectacular stunt that pauses the hectic crowd. It was difficult at first to think how this tightrope walker would connect to every character in the novel; however, in the end I came to the conclusion that Petit can be considered one of the main characters in the story. Almost every single character mentioned the tightrope walker, and how the walk had an impact on that specific moment in their life. They may have been distracted by a certain problem, but everything was at a standstill as Petit walked. Everyone, no matter their social or economic status connected for at least one moment bringing the city together. As Jaslyn lays next to Claire, she feels “the world spinning.” The only reason Jaslyn is found in this situation is because of fate. Claire and Jaslyn come from two completely different worlds, and in the end they end up side by side. Connections will continue to be made no matter what the course of someone’s life is. People will connect, and the world will continue to spin.
A bridge that surprised me was between Lara and Ciaran. It was a bit unsettling that Ciaran would find an attraction for the woman that is responsible for his brother’s death; however, this bridge is used to reveal Ciaran’s character development. I understand that the point of this connection was to show how Ciaran learned forgiveness after the death of Corrigan, but it was still odd how an emotional relationship was made between these characters.
A bridge that made my heart sing was Corrigan’s connection with every character he encountered in the novel. It did not matter who they were or what their past consisted of, Corrigan accepts them and helps them in anyway he can. He resembles a forgiveness and humility that every single person can learn from. His first acts of kindness can be seen as he gives away his blankets, and goes the extra mile to understand the suffering of the unfortunate souls of society. While living in New York, he attempts to better the lives of prostitutes by offering them a place to rest or use the bathroom during the day. Even when pimps beat him up for offering this service, he continues to do it. Corrigan allows himself to suffer as long as he can benefit the lives of those around him. Through his connections with different characters in the novel, readers can learn to idolize Corrigan’s selflessness as he bridges people together no matter what they are classified as in society.
Yes, Petit does connect to everyone. The tightrope walker is not a main character though because he doesn’t change. Classically, this is called the Antagonist, a character or entity that doesn’t change but who stands steady for something, good or bad. The other characters are revealed by how they respond, change in response to the Antagonist.
Petit’s function is to be the catalyst for everyone else. Is that the Artist’s role?