33 pages • 1 hour read
Colum McCannLet the Great World Spin
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
Chapter 10
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book Four
Chapter 10 Summary: Roaring Seaward, and I Go
In the final chapter, McCann fast-forwards over thirty years to October 2006. Jazzlyn’s daughters are now fully grown adults. This chapter is narrated by Jaslyn, Jazzlyn’s older daughter. She was named after her dead mother but has changed the spelling.
Jaslyn has escaped New York and poverty. She works for a non-profit in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jaslyn has come to New York to say good-bye to her adopted mother’s best friend, Claire, who is dying.
She goes to Claire’s apartment where she meets Claire’s nephews, who are using Claire’s apartment and liquor cabinet to have a good time. Jaslyn realizes she is unwelcome there, largely because she is black.
She finds a time when the nephews are gone and stays with Claire. The novel ends with Jaslyn completing the storyline as she lies next to Claire in bed and listens to her breathing.
Chapter 10 Analysis
After witnessing the trials and tribulations of the characters throughout the novel, it is a pleasant surprise to meet Jaslyn as a grown-up, healthy, competent human being with a good life. Jaslyn knows who she is and what she wants, and she has the strength and courage to achieve her goals. There is no way to classify Jaslyn as a victim of sexism or racism.
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By Colum McCann
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