Let The Great World Spin By Column Mccann: Character Analysis

In the novel, Let the Great World Spin by Column McCann portrays Jaslyn’s abandonment of her legacy by not becoming a prostitute and changing her name, which shows that people desire hope.

Jaslyn changes one letter of her name to portray her separate identity from her mother. Jaslyn’s previous name was Jazzlyn, just like her mother’s name. It is important to realize though that Jaslyn did not completely change her name to something else. This means that she still accepts her past, but moves on from it. Jaslyn has made it clear that she is not the same person as her mother and grandmother. She has always felt different, since she was adopted, so this is an additional step that she had to take to portray this independence. This is an action of renewal and rebirth- her identity changes, from being characterized by …show more content…
Jaslyn neglects and fears love because her mother and grandmother were prostitutes. This causes her to become careful and protective of her emotions. She does not want to be like her mother and grandmother. She states,“She is often nervous around men and women her own age, their attention, their desires”(328). Then, she meets Pino in the airport and everything changes, but not at first. We see her hesitation when she meets Pino. Jaslyn states, “she is surprised by the immediate comfort she feels”(328) and “it strikes her that she has never really known the body of another” (347). Again, she expresses her uncertainty towards loving Pino. Unlike her mother, Jaslyn finds true love. Jazzyln and Tillie’s intentions, as prostitutes, was not to fulfill their desire for lust, not true love. It was the complete opposite. Tillie states, “Hooking was born in me. That’s no exaggeration. I never wanted no square job.” (199). This portrays Jaslyn working towards her own legacy, instead of following her predecessors’. She creates her own, unique image of love and does not fear this emotion