The Librarianist

Just as with all aspects of his life, Bob proceeds with caution upon learning of Chip’s real identity. Though he has imagined Connie’s return to him, he has come to accept that this will never happen and that he will forever be estranged from her. Not knowing what has happened to Connie, how she has spent the decades after Ethan’s death, have plagued Bob, creating a void and a sense of incompletion. He has learned to disregard this void in order to continue to live his life. The knowledge that Connie is alive (and living so close to him) forces Bob to confront the unresolved feelings he harbors concerning her absence from his life. Because he understands that Connie is intellectually impaired, he is unsure what good might come from any attempts to try to connect to her at this late stage.

In time, Bob comes to understand that Sam is an avenue to fill in the missing information about Connie’s life and that this is indeed knowledge Bob wishes to have. That Sam is equally eager to meet with Bob and learn what he can of Ethan and Connie is important: both men stand to gain from the other and a mutual trust is quickly formed. Bob, having known Ethan for much longer than San did, can provide Sam with knowledge of his father and Sam, having a relationship with his mother during all those years Bob wondered about her, can provide Bob with information too. Importantly, Bob does not speak ill of Sam’s parents to him, withholding any anger, hurt, or feelings of betrayal. Instead, he focuses on both Connie and Ethan’s positive traits, stressing to Sam what an admirable person his father was. In this way, Bob has either fully forgiven Ethan for his betrayal or recognizes that little good can come from painting Ethan in a bad light to Sam. The compassion that Bob shows here is evidence of his kind and loving spirit and, though he acknowledges that the feelings he experiences in sharing with Sam are complex, the exchange provides an important moment of closure for Bob.

Bob comes to accept The Struggles of Aging in this section, and his agreeing to move to the senior center is an acknowledgment of the limitations that his age brings. Yet, Bob’s life continues to be a meaningful one. Though he no longer works at the library, he gradually is less anxious about losing his self-worth and daily purpose. His quiet life, full of books and new friends, is a pleasant one that Bob relishes. Bob’s time at the senior center is juxtaposed with the state of the other residents, again suggesting that the effects of aging are random and unforgiving, highlighting the tragedy that befalls some, like Connie, and how crucial it is to spend one’s time to the fullest.

The final moments of the novel in which Bob bobs for apples (the word play here likely intentional) shows the dramatic change his character has undergone in the course of his life. Since he was a child, Bob has regarded himself as invisible—a person who goes unnoticed and blends into the background. Earlier sections of the novel support this, such as when Bob is not initially noticed in the train car by Ida and June and when his mother does not immediately notice he has run away. Here, though, Bob is brave enough to draw attention to himself, placing himself at the center of the action. That the crowd chants his name shows just how important Bob has become to the residents of Gambell-Reed. The final two themes, The Impact of Relationships and Human Connection and Work and the Discovery of Life’s Purpose overlap at the end of this story. Bob finally is able to divorce the ideas of work and purpose, and he finds new purpose in his friends and peers at the senior center. He learns he must often go out of his way to be seen, or else be relegated to the background. This final gesture, then, foreshadows a happy and meaning-filled ending to Bob’s life.