WHIRLIGIG THE HEROIC JOURNEY 1 THE ORDINARY WORLD

WHIRLIGIG: THE HEROIC JOURNEY

1. THE ORDINARY WORLD. Brent: • He is always moving around, never had stability in his life "He was always the new kid, stumbling through the maze, never quite rich or good looking or athletic enough to join the elite. " P 7 • Focuses on the superficial, always in a rush (i. e. can't wait for the party) "He hated the hours before a party… Why couldn't you fast-forward through time the way you could with a video? . . . Real time was a drag. " P 3/4 Miami Man: • Immigrant who tries to make a living for himself and his family • He wants to be free in life, not shackled down to his everyday life • He lives in a full house where everything is so loud and noisy all the time

2. THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Brent: • In an attempt to kill himself after the party, he drunkenly crashes his car into Lea (an innocent teenager) • He kills Lea, and is buried in a state of depression • Sometime after the crash, Brent is asked to meet with Lea's mother and he doesn't refuse Miami Man: • She asks to build 4 whirligigs, one on each corner of the US in honour of Lea • With the grandparents, cousin and babies all in the house, it grew unbearably loud - "It was like a war in our house. " • With everything that is going on in his life, he decides it might give him penance and he accepts • One morning seeking peace, he woke up and just drove far out of Miami

3. MEETING WITH THE MENTOR. Brent: Miami Man: • He doesn't necessarily find his mentor in a person, but rather in his whirligig making book • Like Brent, the Miami Man learns from an object rather than a person • The previous owner left notes all over, guiding him in his craft • After seeing the shearwaters on the boat, he gets off and walks down the pier • All the notes give him self confidence in what he is doing and Brent propels himself into the journey • He sees the wooden marching band stops to look • His allies such as Emil, the German tourist and the Canadian biker gave him advice and helped him learn new interests • He learns that birds don't live alone, like people – "And whenever there's a group, there's fighting. " P 62 • He learns that if the people in the group get along, they can make good music instead of arguing

4. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD. Brent: • The journey and traveling is starting to give him a new prospective on life Miami Man: • Brent meets new people and starts to discover who he really is • Seeing the marching band whirligig gave him a new perspective on life, that to get along in a group would give him peace and what he wanted • He uncovers an interest in astrology, as well as in musical instruments (change, unlike taking interest in something superficial like popularity) • He realizes that he should learn to get along with a family and have his family get along with one another in order to find peace

5. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. Brent: Miami Man: • Brent meets a Canadian man from Prince George who shares his campsite with him • Throughout his entire life, the Miami Man faced tasks • Making whirligigs are a grueling task and troubles with his tools bring Brent back to his angry self • From the bombs in Puerto Rico to the move to Miami to the bullying and then when he was older, the loss of his baby – they all made him who he is • Only when he is tested by the fact that he doesn't have many supplies left does he recommence working calmly • He meets Emil, a German traveller in the hostel • They explore the city together and Brent discovers his interest in musical instruments (i. e. the harmonica) • Constancia is his love, the ally that would always be his – although she may be fragile, she still loves deeply • Noise and war would be his enemy, and he has trouble in trying to figure out how he can overcome/solve it until he goes on the journey and sees the whirligig

6. A ROAD OF TRIALS. Brent: Miami Man: • In Weeksboro, Maine, Brent meets an older painter • • They chat for a while, then Brent has to head back to build his whirligig Everything that had happened in his life brought him to the moment of finding his own peace • He returns soon to the painter's house with his finished whirligig, the best one out of all 4 Without all that noise, he would never have wanted to get away and never would have seen the whirligig • Getting on the fishing boat led to seeing the shearwater birds which led him to his elixir • • He asks if he could put it on her property and she asks about the girl it's dedicated to (aka. Lea) • They start to talk and when they do, the words trickle out slowly • But like a dam, it bursts and everything just comes down • Brent tells her about the party, the drinking, the accident, the journey • She tells him he doesn't look like a killer, that good people do bad things sometimes • He shares a detail he never mentioned to anyone, that he tried to kill himself that night • Her opinion of him doesn't change, and she forgives him for his actions

7. ACHIEVING THE GOAL. Brent: • Brent puts the last whirligig on the painter's property, and sets back on the way home • Her forgiveness helped Brent to forgive himself • He gains the elixir • Forgiveness gave him the power to move on in life • Brent checks into a motel and at dinner, there is a contra dance • He is engaged into the dance and feels like a part of something, he is interconnected • Brent realizes that he may be just like everyone else Miami Man: • He learns how to find peace in his life • There's theme of interconnectedness because the elixir of Brent's journey helped so many others find theirs • With his new job driving the street-sweeper, he gets to work during the night – very peaceful • He doesn't avoid the noise though because when the morning along with everything comes, he is ready for it "The traffic starts, everyone's in a hurry, cars honk and go around me… I'm ready for it. I always bring a tape player. I'll put on some music. Willie Colón's band. " P 62

8. THE ROAD BACK. Brent: • He loses his guide book on the way back (his mentor), but at that time, he realizes he doesn't need it anymore • The road back is not only a metaphorical term and a mental road but a physical road as well • He leaves Weeksboro, Maine to head back home on the bus, but he contemplates travelling to more states around the USA Miami Man: • After the boat ride, he heads back home with a new mindset • He faces the old world with some new knowledge

9. THE RESURRECTION. Brent: Miami Man: • The guilt wouldn't magically disappear and that's something Brent would have to live with for the rest of his life "He knew it would reside in him like the ashes after a fire, unconsumed. But something had changed. He felt oddly buoyant. " P 132 • He overcomes his fear of street-sweepers "I never saw a street-sweeper machine in my life until I came from Puerto Rico. The first week here, it woke me up. I was eleven. I thought it was a monster… And now I'm driving a streetsweeper. " P 55 and finds a job he loves after seeing the whirligig • But he knows that there can be a life for him after Lea's death, that there doesn't have to be two deaths rather than one • He finds peace at the end of his journey due to Brent's actions

10. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR/A NEW NORMAL. Brent: • He returns with a new perspective and deeper understanding of who he is • He fulfills Mrs. Zamora's wishes, but it was more for his benefit, as well as for people all around the USA • Brent will never fully redeem himself but he will spend the rest of his life trying to • He discovers who he really is and what his interests are, such as astronomy/astrology, the harmonica and traveling • He gets to be a new Brent in his old world Miami Man: • He has a newfound peace and appreciation of his life • He is able to face his everyday life, with traffic, noise and everything