The Walker in "Let the Great World Spin"

The name- less character in chapter 4 symbolizes the complete meaning of the novel. He embodies the author thesis. This character brings awareness of how adding significance to the things in this world that aren’t given attention is important. He also was the freedom that the other characters longed for. He also is the beginning to an era that defines a one of the greatest city in the world. Though the walker is name-less, the novel hints about the historical significance the walker has without harping on who he is. He is Philippe Petit, the French acrobat who in 1974 walked across a tightrope between the twin towers. At this time, the Twin towers were just built and looked at as more of a nuisance than one of the world’s greatest landmarks. But this stunt though not the focus in the novel embodies McCann’s whole theme of love and loss. After this stunt, the Twin Towers became a symbol of freedom and continues to be even after is collapse in 2001. In the novel, the characters in the novel are all spectators below. As they watch this event happen above them, they have also desired the freedom they saw the walker achieve during the stunt. But his freedom to overcome the daily trails of what they see has the “life”. Each character has their own idea of what “the life” is. But the walker doesn’t have to define his “life”. His life is just that. This is the freedom the characters in the novel all dream about. The amount of attention given to this character is very limited for a reason. Though to be one of the most important character in the novel, he given less attention to show how the lives seen as less important are still significant. This is to encourage the readers to look into the life of prostitute, the altar boy, the immigrants, and the widows of the Vietnam War. The walker connects all their stories but doesn’t add significance to them but on their own their stores hold weight, hence the format of the