Let The Great World Spin: Character Analysis

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In the novel, Let the Great World Spin, Jaslyn’s abandonment of her legacy by not becoming a prostitute and changing her name, portrays that the past does not dictate the present. Jaslyn’s change of name and her profession show her separate identity from the past. Jaslyn’s previous name was Jazzlyn, just like her mother’s name. Jaslyn makes it clear that she is not the same person as her mother and grandmother. Always feeling different, since she is adopted, modifying her name is an additional step that she takes to portray her independence. As her identity transforms, from being characterized by the past to being recognized for who she is as an individual, she takes a step towards renewal. Jaslyn presents her change of identity stating, “What …show more content…

That it wasn’t for shame, not from shame at all?”(McCann 329). Jaslyn reveals that she did not completely altercate her name. She still accepts her past, but does not regret it. The purpose of modifying her name is not because of embarrassment, but rather, it is an act of renewal. Furthermore, Jaslyn’s decision of not becoming a prostitute like her predecessors also shows Jaslyn’s transformation of her legacy. Column McCann expresses that she attended Yale University and is currently an accountant, which is a significant difference from what her mother and grandmother did as a profession. Jaslyn declares that, “...She comes from a long line of hookers, that her grandmother died in a prison cell… that she got sent to Yale”(329). Working hard and seizing the opportunities, Jaslyn was able to build her own …show more content…

One indication of this is that she keeps the picture of Philippe Petit walking across the wire, taken on the same day that her mother died. Jaslyn says, “The photo was taken on the same day her mother died- it was one of the reasons she was attracted to it in the first place: the sheer fact that such beauty had occurred at the same time”(325). The picture provides Jaslyn with a different outlook on that devastating day when her mother died. She always carries it around with her to remind her of the beauty and elegance of life. Additionally, just as the Petit is able to walk across the physical wire, Jaslyn walks across the wire as well. Each character has unique challenges that they must overcome; Jaslyn overcomes the obstacles that come from her legacy. Even though Jazzlyn and Tillie lived through hard times, hope is fulfilled through Janice and Jaslyn. Jaslyn always travels with this picture, as if she was present when these two very distinct, yet similar events happened. The picture is the connection to her past. Jaslyn develops from disregarding her past to making peace with it. She declares, “It used to bother her terribly that her mother and grandmother worked in the streets”(333). Her legacy is nothing to be proud of, especially since Jaslyn dramatically turns it around. She conveys her development when she says, “She wanted to know more. Being the complete opposite, “Janice wanted nothing to

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