When we imagine a hero, we often picture one similar to that of the Odyssey, who is the leader of a group and struggles against circumstances beyond their control, yet we envision something completely separate from Smithy (superficially, in the sense that the typical hero is strong, attractive, intelligent as well as other having other similar values). Smithy is basically a "loser" since he is overweight, friendless, a chain smoker and has fallen into a status below mediocrity, yet we find a certain heroic quality to him even before he commences on his impossible quest. As he has been struck with tragedy with the death of his sister and his parents, I think that his emotional resilience to these situations and his final decision to find comfort by trekking across the nation on a small bicycle prove him to be an unconventional hero, yet a hero nonetheless.
Intially, I saw Smithy as somewhat removed from his life, especially in his way of interacting with people, and perhaps this was his way of resisting his tragic situation. As the novel progressed, a certain likeable quality is found in the way he narrates his memories, and finally, he decides to embark on a journey that will change his way of life. Overall, regarding his situation, we see that Smithy is a desperate man who has little to lose now that he has lost his family, thus he simply wants a way to escape his emotional problems and seizes an opportunity to do so on his bike. If we see this action from a perspective of a pathos-invoking character standing up for himself, as previously described, we loose insight on the potential obstacles behind his adventure. Even for the most experienced athletes, biking across a continent is no easy task, yet Smithy is in an even worse position since he is overweight, a chain smoker and into his forties, ergo he is not in the realistic conditions to complete such an expedition. In a similar way to Anse Bundren from As I lay Dying, Smithy's voyage seems to be without purpose or simply absurd, but we somehow as readers find a heroic quality of their journeys since they face off against the impossible with bravery, even if their ideas and objectives are pointless to us.
I like how you connected Smithy to Anse Bundren. Both trips are somewhat absurd, but I definitely like Smithy and his trip more because it seems like he is trying to make the trip to 'find himself'. I think the way we know his mental thoughts and, as such, can connect to him more as a person also plays a big part in this. With Anse we didn't get to see his point of view as often, so it was harder to connect to him and understand exactly why he did what he did, so we looked at him more objectively.
ReplyDeleteThe analogy to Anse makes sense--and there is the common factor of a beloved family member being properly laid to rest. But it's odd that it was the rationale for Anse's journey that kept giving us pause (is this *really* what it's about? did Addie even *want* to be buried in Jefferson, as he insists?), whereas Smithy doesn't even *have* a rationale for his trip--it "just happens," as he seems to find himself suddenly biking west with no real plan in mind. There's also something about the solo nature of his venture--with the reader as a virtual companion--that gives his journey a nobility. With Anse, we focused a lot on him forcing his family to go through with this ordeal, whereas Smithy flies solo--it maybe gives the journey more of a "heroic" feeling?
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you relate Anse's journey, which in many respects was unnecessary and, in fact, deeply harmful to his family, to Smithy's. While both don't seem to be very practical (Smithy could just take a flight to L.A., for example), I think the reason I applaud Smithy's journey while criticizing Anse's is because in Smithy's case, there's a clear story of self-improvement being told, while in As I Lay Dying Anse seems to remain more-or-less a static character -- most of the drastic character developments occur in the people around him.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Smithy's journey is very connected to Anse's journey. Although Smithy's seems a little bit more out of the blue, neither journey was strictly necessary, and, furthermore, both were discouraged (by the neighbors and by Norma, if I remember correctly). There is a bit of a difference in the actual journey, however. Smithy sets off without much of a goal, while Anse certainly knows what he intends to do when he sets off on the journey. Furthermore, the journey is actually very helpful to Smithy, in fact, if actually starts to turn his life around. For Anse, it sort of help him, but he loses a kid as well as cripples one of them. Overall, I would say that Anse's journey was more of a failure than a success, and, while I don't know how Smithy's will turn out, I have the feeling that it will be a lot more successful.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Smithy's journey is absurd at all. It is perfectly normal --as you state-- to want to just get out and escape, especially after having lost his family. LA seems like a viable option to head to because his sister's body is there, but that isn't important. What is important is that he does go. I think that we find Smithy heroic partly because he has taken this initiative and started exercising (to an extreme) and eating healthier, but I don't think he necessarily does these things because he consciously wants to do these, he does them because they make sense at the time. It makes sense to buy the most convenient food that would provide him ample energy to bike, and it makes sense not to use the little money he has on cigarettes or booze.
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