World's End

After reading Part I of World’s End by T.C. Boyle, Matt Fellows confronted the question, does history haunt us? After reading Part II, we see that Matt was right, Walter surrendered to his family’s repugnant tradition, living up to his Van Brunt name by betraying those he loved. Why?

The long line of legendary Van Brunt “scumbags,” as Truman Van Brunt, Walter’s father, put it, were rivals of one of the most powerful families the Van Warts. The Van Brunts always failed at attempts to stand up to the Van Warts, making the Van Brunts look like cowards. This family’s story began generations back with Harmonous and continued with a sad character named Jeremais whose efforts to protest unfair authority ended with his backing down when the consequences became harsh. As Wouter watched his father Jeremias beg for forgiveness, he witnessed Jeremias’ (and I believe even his own) spirit disappear. Then Wouter, the man Walter was named after, started the riot against the Van Warts, but as spineless as a man could be, turned in his friends to save his own life. The next generation of Van Brunt’s bred Truman a person who betrayed his communist comrades by acting as a spy against his friends and family. What led Truman to become a traitor?

Truman discovered the answer to this query when asked to write a paper about his family history in school. The assignment became an obsession of self discovery resulting in a dissertation exploring and revealing his past. The knowledge of his family’s dark saga lead to the day Truman repeated the actions of his ancestors and turned on everyone he loved. Would Truman have succumbed if he had not known his past or was he predestined and therefore unable to alter his legacy?

Walter, in search of his father Truman, uncovered this ugly, tormented family story. When Walter asked his father why he had betrayed his mother, his friends and his son, Truman explained that although he thought of himself as a patriot, the real reason was that he was doomed to fulfill his destiny. Truman was convinced that his history and his future were predetermined in his blood and in his bones.

Walter then faced his life. Was Walter fated by blood and bones or does he truly have an option? While he could not undo his past, he could change the course of his future and conduct his life so that the Van Brunt’s name would represent a new, positive reputation bequeathing a brighter heritage to future generations. Sadly like his ancestors before him, Walter chose to accept this self-filling prophesies and submitted to his ill-fated history, throwing his life away. A lesson not lost on me – history, despite what the old saying implies, does not have to repeat itself. Unlike Walter as individuals and as a country we must understand our story, accept it learn from it and then strive to improve not repeat it.