From the beginning of time to the present day, people have grappled with the question of destiny and whether we choose our own paths. The idea that a stranger can completely alter our course of life has been a question of the ages, and something almost every religion has tried to answer. In Colum McCann’s “Let the Great World Spin,” the concept of two people or more crossing paths and somehow profoundly affecting each other’s lives is explored throughout the novel using a multi-perspective narrative. The characters connect via chance encounters, unexpected circumstances, and relationships that defy cultural and racial boundaries; and all of it traces back to the day when a man walked a tightrope in between the Twin Towers in 1974. The elements …show more content…
118),” not at the fact that he had just killed two people. Blaine’s response really speaks to his callousness and self-centered personality, because even upon seeing the death and destruction he caused, all he can think about is making a name for himself in the art world, and how the crash would affect his image. He is so hyper focused on his own success that he is blind to anything beyond his own priorities. This selfishness makes him stand out as a character, and later costs him his marriage to Lara.
The question of compassion in the chapter “A Fear of Love” suggests that compassion and empathy are the pillars of human connection and unity. In the case of Lara and Blaine, the lack of compassion on Blaine’s part is what undoes his relationship with Lara because she cannot stand to be with someone so self-absorbed anymore. The fact that he not only caused the deaths of two innocent people but also, when they drove up to the crash site, he only cared about the damage done to his car. This drives an impenetrable wedge between him and Lara, and effectively closes him off from the broader