Emily Perkins
English 2089
September 4, 2015
The Wideman Project
In the story of Our Time, written by author John Edgar Wideman, it brings to life the
story of John and his brother Robby. The story starts off by Robby losing one of his best
friends, Garth. Robby is in the ward watching his friend’s life slowly fade away. Garth
had not much hope in his situation. The ward did not help with whatever this disease
was. Robby describes Garth’s death as dark and depressing. Robby soon receives the
call days later that Garth had died. Even though this is the beginning of the story, I
believe this is where the story reaches its climax.
Robby talks about how all the men drink to their heart's content after the funeral. You
can see how this impact slowly fades away Robby’s life as well. He reflects on Garth’s
life,” The man had you coming and going. He owned everything worth owning and all
you’d ever get was what he didn’t want anymore, what he’d chewed and spit out and left
in the gutter for niggers to fight over. Garth had pointed to the street and said, If we ever
make it, it got to come from there, from the curb.” (Wideman, 426)
This turn of events in Robby’s life had shown how much he needed Garth. No one
seemed to understand Garth’s death, but the men had cheered for Garth, “It’s our time
now. We can’t let Garth down. Let’s drink this last one for him and promise him we’ll do
what he said we could. We’ll be the best. We’ll make it to the top for him. We’ll do it for
Garth.” (Wideman, 428)
I believe John uses Robby’s and Garth’s story to show how the death of a friend can
change your life. John talks about his relationship with his brother in the story, and it is
difficult to understand. Difficult to understand that John and Robby are brothers. John
uses Robby’s story as a way to reflect on you are who hang around.
Everyone grieves differently. From hanging around certain people who are a part of
molding your life and personality, you deal with certain issues that life throws your way
differently. By John sharing Robby’s story of losing Garth, we can see that Robby turns
to drinking by grieving. Later in the story, John talks about seeing Robby in prison.
Even though Robby and John were brothers, Robby took life the harder way. He did
things that made his mother worry all the time. I believe by John sharing his story was
his way of grieving for his brother. Through the story you can tell John’s love for family
and how much he cared about where he came from. John tries to connect with his
brother and it all could have been for the sake of his love for his mother and wanting to
be a better to Robby, who always was not necessarily there.
I can understand John in helping his brother. When a family member becomes
disgruntled and uses your parent, you can become bitter. You grow a part. But it is
always the love of the family to bring you together. John talks about his mother and how
she dealt with Robby and Garth. In the story John says, “Before she told Garth’s story,
my mother had already changed, but it took years for me to realize how profoundly she
hated what had been done to Garth and then Robby. The gentleness of my grandfather,
like his fair skin and good French hair, had been passed down to my mother.
Gentleness styled the way she thought, spoke, and moved in the world. Her easy
disposition and sociability masked the intensity of her feelings.” (Wideman, 431)
I enjoy how swell John talked about his mother. From the details of how she lived life
just shows the kind of person she is. John went on to say, “A son she loved would be
pursued, captured, tried, and imprisoned by the forces of law and order. Throughout the
ordeal her love for him wouldn’t change, couldn’t change.” (Wideman, 432) John and
Robby had a strong mother. From all things she had been tested and tried for though
her son Robby, she still chose to show love and gentleness.
I believe community and family all connects with our personal identity. We are given a
family, and they help mold us. We chose our community and that has a great effect on
who we are as people. Everything we do can affect our lives in all different ways. Not
only can community and family connect and affect our identity, it can affect our loved
ones and friends as well.
In this story I believe John brings into consideration many things families go through. He
provides details on a troubled brother, a loving mother, a grandfather who had help
build a strong foundation for his family, and community that had troubles. Where we are,
who we hang around, where we have come from all builds who we become as
individuals. The connections are made through everything we do.
We can affect our lives by who we hang around and the choices we make. I believe this
story shows just that. Through Garth’s death had changed Robby’s life. Robby’s choices
and the way he chose to live affected his mother and his brother’s life. John provided a
great story by showing failure, kindness, and love. This story can help your life just by
seeing all what Robby went through. If we chose to make better choices, we can have a
better out come on life. Through strength support and love of a family, we can make
difficult times better. When we chose to make better decisions and choices in life, it can
truly help make a difference not only in our life, but the lives of others around who love
us. Life can me made better with just one choice.
Work cited:
Wideman, John Edgar. “Our Time.” Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. David
Bartholomae, Anthony Petrosky, and Stacey Waite. Bedford/St.Martins, 2014. 422-459.
Print.