Keep Calm and Bike On

Contrary to the general consensus about the ending of Smithy’s quest and The Memory of Running, I find myself actually liking the ending.  It’s what you would expect, and usually want, from a typical ending: Most of the ends are tied up and the hero of the story, Smithy, has grown and developed drastically.  

Smithy has seen Bethany’s body.  This moment in the book is one of the most powerful scenes to read.  Although he is skeptical, he has closure and confirmation of where she is and that she’s moved on to another life.  Hook has found Bethany for the last time.  Originally, I assumed that Smithy would have his closure by seeing Bethany and then fly home and have his moment with Norma.  I didn’t expect so see Norma there at the funeral home, (but now I see how that could have been very predictable).  I admit that it’s a little weird for Smithy and Norma to have their romantic scene right after they get out of the funeral home that houses Smithy’s dead sister, but I still think it was a touching moment.  It reminds me of a typical movie ending, when Smithy turns Norma around in her wheelchair and kisses her.  Although Smithy “getting the girl” isn’t truly a “Smithy ending”, it’s still a touching moment and ties the book together.

A lot of people in class were saying that they believed that McLarty rushed the ending, and that he could of either dragged something out longer or played with it more.  But, if you think about it, no one can make the perfect ending.  If the ending had been different, I may of have mixed feelings, while other people would have been satisfied.  You can’t please everyone.  But people fail to see how well McLarty has made things come full circle.  Even though we are left at a cliffhanger, wondering what Smithy will do now, that’s the beauty of this ending.  We are left theorize what he will do.  Will he go back? Will he stay in California? How will he get back? By leaving these questions open ended, McLarty sets up an opportunity for us, as readers, to answer them and think of a new quest and new life for Smithy and Norma.  

Now, as I said above, no ending is perfect.  I’m not just going to write about how pretty perfect this ending was, because it wasn’t.  Believe it or not, I too had qualms.  First, I can’t really see how Smithy is a hero.  Yes he’s made a journey and has grown into a new person.  But, I am someone who favors the typical plot line of an underdog going off on a journey, coming across a twist in their original plan, but then things work out in the end.  In The Memory of Running, obviously the underdog is Smithy, and obviously things have worked out in the end, but where’s the twist?  You could argue him getting his bike stolen was, but that doesn’t seem to affect his journey much.  In a way, Smithy’s journey seems just smooth sailing the whole time.  Although he does face obstacles on the way, none of them seem to seriously affect his journey.  It just seems to me that a bike ride across the United States of America would be harder than Smithy narrates.  

All in all, although the storyline bothered me a little, I still like the ending.  It’s a nice short sweet ending that does a good job tying up most of the loose ends in Smithy’s life.  It both concludes The Memory of Running nicely, as well as sets the scene for a possible sequel in the future. (*cough* *cough* McLarty).