Whirligig Group

Question:

tvarney1
tvarney1
Teacher
High School - 9th Grade

What is the significance in Ch. 4 of Whirligig? It makes no reference to either building or seeing a whirligig, and I can't make the connection.

Is it about a relative of Lea's? What's the meaning?

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Posted by tvarney1 on Monday March 12, 2007 at 9:20 AM and tagged with whirligig.

Answers:


  1. janeyb

    eNotes Editor

    The book flashes forwards in a reverse chronology to stories within the story about how the whirligigs effects those who see them. Although i do not have the book in front of me, I'm sure that this is probably what is confusing you.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/whirligig-qn

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    Posted by janeyb on Monday March 12, 2007 at 12:05 PM


  2. dymatsuoka

    eNotes Editor

    On the last two pages of Chapter 4, the street sweeper, who is taking a drive by himself to find peace from his family situation, comes across a little marching band made of wood nailed to a restaurant on a pier.  The marching band is actually a whirligig, made by Brent and placed in Florida (see Chapter 7, "The Apprentices").  The marching band leads the street sweeper to come to an understanding and acceptance about people, and the things that happen when they live together.

    As my colleague so aptly pointed out, the chronology of the story can be confusing, but as you read through and match up the chapters, it should begin to make more sense.

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Thursday August 2, 2007 at 10:49 PM