On Borrowed Time
by Lawrence Watkin
Award: National Book 1937
Date Read: April 28, 2019
On Borrowed Time is essentially a meditation on the necessity of death. Gramp's son, Jim and his wife, Susan are suddenly killed in a car accident, leaving their son, Pud, in the hands of Gramps and Miss Nellie, his wife. Due to some mysterious spell that Gramps accidentally breaks, Mr. Brink (metaphor for brink-of-death, perhaps?) is released from the purgatory of the apple tree and visits death upon Miss Nellie and her dog.
Gramps is determined to raise Pud to a young man and makes the vow that Mr. Brink will not be allowed out of the tree for 16 years. As with any tinkering with life, suspending death has many unintended consequences for those in town. The local funeral business, churches and estate lawyers are essentially sidelined. People begin driving recklessly and jumping off bridges, thumbing their nose at death since they know there will no long-term consequences.
In the end, Gramps understands that he has stopped time for one child. After an accident cripples Pud, Gramps lets Mr. Brink down from the tree and asks him to take both of them, which Mr. Brink obliges. Death isn't the worst fate after all.
As a novel from the 30s, I can appreciate the ways we have progressed as a society in raising children. I would like to think we no longer shame children from crying, particularly over their dead parents or not offering comfort until they defeat the local bully. Perhaps these practices still occur in some places, but, hopefully, not in the majority of homes.
Comments
Post a Comment