Whirligig Theme

A wise person once said, “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does change the future.” If a person receives forgiveness, it will change their future. It allows a person to transform and live their life, moving forward, in a better way. This is true of Brent because he has to be forgiven and forgive himself, not to forget what he has done, but, to transform and live a better life. If he did not find forgiveness, Brent would still be angry, selfish, and sad. In the brilliant novel Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman, the main character Brent requires forgiveness from himself and from others in order to undergo a transformation.
Firstly, forgiveness from others is necessary for Brent to find closure, forgive himself, and ultimately transform.

Mrs. Zamora asks Brent to place whirligigs in all four corners of the United States, so Lea’s spirit can live on. In order to do penance and try to make up for his mistakes Brent says, “I’ll do it” (Flieschman 42). The Zamoras did not judge Brent or shame him. When Mrs. Zamora met with Brent, she stated that she was learning to accept the fact that Lea was gone. This did not satisfy Brent because he wanted to be worthy to accept their forgiveness. He wanted to earn their forgiveness, so he went on the journey that they sent him on. This act of forgiveness of others ultimately set the journey in motion, and caused him to transform. A second example of Brent needing forgiveness from others is when he meets the artist woman in Maine, who makes Brent realize that he is a good person. After Brent gets everything off his

For example, Brent needs to come to terms with what he has done, and stop lying to everyone about his past in order to move forward and realize his importance. After Brent tells the painter the truth, in detail, about his past, he feels changed. In chapter nine, it says, “But something has changed. He felt oddly buoyant. He discovered that a new view lay before his mind’s eye” (Flieschman 132). This outlook on life is much different then his attitude in the beginning of the book; it is much more positive. By admitting out loud to someone what he has done, he is able to forgive himself and look towards the future. Also, forgiveness is vital to his transformation because he needs to find closure after what he has done to Lea. At the end of Whirligig it says, “She’d [Lea] set him in motion, motion that he was now transferring to others” (Flieschman 132). After forgiving himself, he is able to move forward, and turn what he has done into a movement. He realize he has changed, and plans to continue to live out his new life. Finding this closure, and changing his outlook on life, is necessary in order for Brent to transform. Forgiving himself is an important step in Brent’s journey; it allows him to move on from his past and transform into a boy with a better attitude about