Whirligig

“He returned to his room and flipped on the radio. Discerning what stations were considered cool was another of his moving-in tasks. No spell-chanting shaman knew better the importance of precise adherence to tradition. And keeping the right music flowing, using headphones between house and car, was as vital as maintaining a sacred flame. With the room now prepared, Brent set about dressing. It was May and no longer rib-rattling cold. He considered his large collection of T-shirts, weighing their logos, color, and condition. To impress without risking being made fun of was his mission.”

At the outset of Whirligig, Brent’s main focus is on outward appearances rather than, as it will become later, inner fulfillment and self-sufficiency. Seeking approval, he applies his efforts toward shallow activities, like picking out the t-shirt that will make the perfect impression. Likewise, he chooses music for its popularity rather than for his own genuine enjoyment, even when alone in his room. Ironically, this inner emptiness is apparent and off-putting to the very people he is trying to impress, such as Brianna. The references to the religious symbols of the “sacred flame” and the “shaman” imply that Brent literally worships consumer goods. They create a contrast with his changed character on his whirligig-building mission, which is also described using symbols of devotion (“Bent over his book like a biblical scholar, mumbling, rereading, receiving sudden insights, he carefully mounted the arms on the figure” [53]). 

“It was the sort of lie that would never be found out, the sort he’d drawn on often. Moving had at least that on advantage. Over the years, he’d grown adept at creating alternate pasts for himself."

The concept of alternate selves comes up repeatedly in Whirligig. Before the drastic personal transformation that Brent undergoes following his car crash, he creates these selves for the purpose of bolstering his social status. Here, he lies about his father having a Porsche, revealing a lack of integrity and scruples. Brent’s habit of boastful lying is a sign of his inner emptiness as well as to the lack of confidence that arises from it.