Ribbons

[Beetle]

As I'm new to this list, I thought I'd post a discovery I had as I concluded the book.

On page 523 Zampano tells us that Karen was on the front yard, cradling Navidson in her arms, with a pink ribbon in her hair. At the time that struck me as odd, un-Karen-like. I think this was purposeful. Later on, page 599, Johnny's mother writes in a letter: "Like Hawthorne's Faith, I put pink ribbons in my hair". Curiously, the word ribbon is not listed as being on this page in the index.

It's used a second time on this page, as she's hanging Johnny's blue camp ribbons here as well.

I don't know if I take this as ultimate proof that she is the writer here, though I would think it supports the idea of there being only one author. Or, at the very least, that Johnny did change the end of the Navidson Record.

Any thoughts?

[albuhtross]

Okay the following may be a stretch but what the heck...following up on the idea posted by the.blueeyed.devil that there are related topics on reverse pages. The Whalestore "ribbon" letter is on page 599, which obviously there's no 995. The only place ribbon is cited in the index is the occurence on 523. Well on page 325 we have Johnny writing

"my mothers words...focusing my direction, a voice powerful enough to finally lift my wing and give me the strength to go."

Towards the end of the "ribbon" letter Pelafina writes that Johnny was

"born with the wind under your wings."

I know, I may be going way out there but thought I'd throw it in here.