Examples Of Garrett In The Boatbuilder

In Daniel Gumbiner’s “The Boatbuilder,” Garrett, like many characters in the story, is one of great complexity and his actions frequently present a conundrum on whether he just makes human mistakes or is genuinely a bad person. This discussion will clearly show with evidence why he is the latter by delving into the complexities of his actions and also his character. It is understandable why a reader could be inclined to believe that he is just a troubled individual. However, throughout the story, he displays his manipulative and harmful behavior by crossing the line from making what could be seen as simple mistakes to being actually malevolent on multiple occasions. By exploring themes of morality, personal responsibility, and the impact of

One instance where Garrett does this is when Simon, one of the people he works with, rightfully calls him out for his complaints about how much work he has to do and states, “‘Maybe if you spent less time smoking in the parking lot we’d get the maintenance done more quickly,’ Simon said. ‘Simon, say that one more time and see what I do.’ ‘Stop smoking in the parking lot.’ ‘One more time.’ ‘Stop smoking in the parking lot.’ ‘One more time.’ ‘I already said it twice.’ ‘That’s what I thought, bro,’ Garrett said. ‘Step down’” (Chapter 4). This is textbook bullying behavior with threats of physical violence and is not acceptable in a workplace, especially where you are somebody that should be looked up to. This quote showcases Garrett’s inability to accept constructive criticism and his tendency to resort to intimidation tactics, reflecting his malevolent nature and further solidifying that he is a bad person, rather than just a flawed

This indicates his current negative behavior is not anomalous but instead a reflection of his true nature. A quote that displays his past behavior well is when he is asking Berg whether he thinks Garrett is a bad person and gives a reason for why he himself thinks he’s a bad person, “When I was fourteen I convinced my little sister that my mom was going to give her up for adoption. Send her to Thailand. Then, when I was fifteen, I pantsed this kid in front of the whole class. His name was JBaum. Well that was his nickname. He was the easiest target. Everyone went after him. Had this skinny little body and this really big head. A few days later I started a rumor that JBaum was having a party and I looked up his address in the directory and put it on a bunch of fliers and plastered them around school” (Chapter 15). This quote shows that on two separate occasions when he was younger, he was an objectively bad person with bad behavior. Now if we relate this to his current day life, you can’t say that much has changed. He has already shown that he is still a bully with his actions against Simon, and this consistency shows that he is also unlikely to change for the