Was Larry just another cyber geek?
This blog entry is in response to discussion question #5 from the book, The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian (Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2001).
Poor "Larry". He's in love with the girl next door but she's in love with brawn. It's a classic tale -- young Josh Swenson is an intelligent guy, with lots of heart, but afraid to approach the girl he likes because she doesn't seem interested. Instead, Josh creates "Larry," a cyber-philosopher who publically voices all the ideas and thoughts his love interest (Beth) finds important. Deep down, Josh hopes that Beth will fall in love with Larry and, once she discovers who Larry is, fall in love with Josh. But, also in classic fashion, things go awry.
Josh is in some ways the typical geek 17 year old. He's smart, funny, passionate about his beliefs, and at war with the establishment. He's also lonely. Josh never knew his Dad and his Mom recently died from cancer. He's being raised by his stepfather, who is a nice-enough guy, but embodies the materialism that Josh detests. But, Josh is also phenomenally brilliant. He is able to understand and accomplish things most adults could not. His superior intelligence, as with many young geniuses, gets him into trouble.
Beth becomes everything to Josh. He loves her. He trusts her. She is his confidante, sounding board, and best friend (not to mention the object of his fantasies). Unrequited love is a powerful motivator. It has created some of the world's finest poetry and art. Josh would do anything to make Beth happy and garner her attenttion. He is, however, too afraid to tell Beth how he feels. Instead, Josh goes to great lengths to create the cyber-philosopher Larry. If he had expressed his feelings to Beth early in their relationship, Larry would never have existed.
Poor "Larry". He's in love with the girl next door but she's in love with brawn. It's a classic tale -- young Josh Swenson is an intelligent guy, with lots of heart, but afraid to approach the girl he likes because she doesn't seem interested. Instead, Josh creates "Larry," a cyber-philosopher who publically voices all the ideas and thoughts his love interest (Beth) finds important. Deep down, Josh hopes that Beth will fall in love with Larry and, once she discovers who Larry is, fall in love with Josh. But, also in classic fashion, things go awry.
Josh is in some ways the typical geek 17 year old. He's smart, funny, passionate about his beliefs, and at war with the establishment. He's also lonely. Josh never knew his Dad and his Mom recently died from cancer. He's being raised by his stepfather, who is a nice-enough guy, but embodies the materialism that Josh detests. But, Josh is also phenomenally brilliant. He is able to understand and accomplish things most adults could not. His superior intelligence, as with many young geniuses, gets him into trouble.
Beth becomes everything to Josh. He loves her. He trusts her. She is his confidante, sounding board, and best friend (not to mention the object of his fantasies). Unrequited love is a powerful motivator. It has created some of the world's finest poetry and art. Josh would do anything to make Beth happy and garner her attenttion. He is, however, too afraid to tell Beth how he feels. Instead, Josh goes to great lengths to create the cyber-philosopher Larry. If he had expressed his feelings to Beth early in their relationship, Larry would never have existed.
posted by Mrs. Verica @ 8:29 AM
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