Brent Bishop
appears to us as an aimless teenager in the first chapter of the book. He just goes along with
what life deals to him, even though he often doesnt agree with it. Part of his negative and
lackadaisical attitude probably stems from the fact that he and his parents have moved from
Connecticut to Atlanta and now to the Chicago area, over the course of a few years. He has had
to adapt to new schools and new groups of people, each time. Hes quick to get angry when
something doesnt go his way, too. These factors meshed together lead to the toxic brew that
includes his tirade at the party, his drinking, and his decision to take his hands off the
steering wheel on the highway ride home.
The tragic accident is followed by
Brents sentence to go to the four corners of the country to install whirligigs in Leas honor.
He agrees to take on the challenge. He travels by bus to Washington, California, Florida, and
Maine, and makes a unique whirligig in each place. He finally has a purpose and definite goals
to work toward. He has to make his own choices and to live with the results. If he makes a
mistake with his woodcraft, he cannot allow himself to get angry for very long. He has to
complete the task; he feels required to complete the task, in his own way.
The bottom line is that Brent is maturing. Hes developing his own personality, now that he is on
his own. And while he still keeps some distance from strangers as much as he can, hes also being
more polite to the ones he does interact with. Brent has been transformed by the accident in a
variety of ways.
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