Our Time John Edgar Wideman
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Throughout "Our Time," John Edgar Wideman leads us through Robby's perspectives and transformations over periods of Robby's life. Throughout these stories, it becomes apparent to the reader that Robby is progressively becoming more and more conscious of himself, his relations to the world around him and the worlds relations to him. Robby's realizations are relevant to all humans and are only dramatized by Robby's current situation.
To begin with, Robby started out like so many of us are, "[walking] around in a daze cause [we] ain't got the time to think" (Wideman, 778). So many humans are able to make it through life without really looking at it. As in Robby's case, he was wrapped up with making friends, being a ladies man, drug addictions, friendships and so on, just as any other human is wrapped up in their activities (be it jobs, fads, popularity, politics...). It makes no difference what or how many things one is wrapped up in, all and all, these activities leave little to no time for reflection or for seeking a deeper purpose to ones existence. Anyhow, who would want to further complicate their survival with reflections that may lead to greater insecurities, when it is so much easier to push it all aside and use all of ones brain power to achieve the goals one has set, enjoy a movie with friends or indulge in these attainable and objective occasions?..