He was struck by how lives diverge and by how powerless each of us is up against the force of circumstance.
After reuniting with Bucky, Arnie must reconcile his positive memories of the childhood playground director with the harrowing reality. Although Arnie is happy for the life he has made for himself, it is clear that his entire generation remains deeply traumatized by the sense of helplessness that accompanied the epidemic. Arnie reflects on life's senseless and uncontrollable nature. Although Bucky and Arnie have both been paralyzed, their individual circumstances and attitudes caused them to cope with their setbacks differently. Arnie ultimately decides to rely on his happy memories of Bucky instead of being affected by his most recent visit.
“You have a conscience, and a conscience is a valuable attribute, but not if it begins to make you think you were to blame for what is far beyond the scope of your responsibility.”
It is possible that Bucky's unwavering sense of guilt stems from his mother's death giving birth to him. Throughout his young adulthood and into his later years, Bucky is weighed down by the feeling that he should be doing more. While working at the playground, Bucky feels guilty that he is not serving in the war. While at Indian Hill, Bucky is concerned that he has abandoned his students in Newark. Nearly thirty years after contracting polio, Bucky remains convinced that he was the carrier at both Indian Hill and the playground. Although Marcia attempts to quell Bucky's anxieties, his guiltiness ultimately destroys his relationship with her beyond repair.
“What I wanted was the tiniest thing in the world: to be like everyone else.”
Bucky spends his whole life feeling ostracized and insecure. He is embarrassed by his upbringing, and he labels his family as "abnormal" when compared to the nuclear families in the neighborhood. As he grows older, Bucky is self-conscious about his small stature and poor eyesight. When all other men his age are fighting in WWII, Bucky feels like the "last man standing" alone in Newark. When he becomes partially paralyzed by polio, Bucky feels maimed and unloved. Ultimately, Bucky sinks further into a depression when he allows his poor self-esteem to define his self-perception.
"Play for the adult is recreation, the renewal of life; play for the child is growth, the gaining of life."
Joseph Lee, a 19th century Boston lawyer, is often dubbed the "father of the playground movement." Lee strongly believed that community life could be strengthened by playgrounds and play. While Bucky works at Chancellor, he has the aforementioned quote by Joseph Lee tacked on a board above his office desk. This perspective reiterates the seriousness in which Bucky views his role as playground director. Throughout the intensity and devastation of the polio epidemic, Bucky feels the immense responsibility of maintaining the playground for the children's development and wellbeing.
[Bucky] wanted to teach them what his grandfather had taught him: toughness and determination, to be physically brave and physically fit and never to allow themselves to be pushed around.
Although Bucky's grandfather has passed away, the lessons that he taught Bucky become central to the protagonist's character. Sam Cantor, Bucky's grandfather, was the victim of antisemitic attacks. These setbacks caused Sam to develop a thick skin and to strongly assert himself in situations of adversity. He fears that Bucky's loss of parents, small stature, and poor eyesight will cause him to be bullied. Sam overcompensates by teaching Bucky the values of physical and emotional toughness.
These were happy, energetic kids who were not imperiled by a cruel and invisible enemy; they could actually be shielded from mishap by an adult's vigilant attention.
Bucky comments on how different socioeconomic circumstances affect how people cope with the pandemic. In Newark, a working-class community, the children are more vulnerable to disease because they must congregate in crowded spaces. Indian Hill initially appears utopian because everyone is safe and carefree. However, the campers have this outlook because their families can afford to send them to a secure and isolated community.
Invariably he wound up instead imagining Alan roasting like a piece of meat in his box.
Bucky is incredibly disturbed by the death of Alan Michaels, his star pupil. When he sees Alan's casket at his funeral, he is overwhelmed by visions of Alan's lifeless body suffering in the summer heat. Throughout the novel, the summer climate mirrors the relentless and suffocating nature of current events. Just as Bucky struggles to find reprieve in the heat, he is similarly unable to relax while the pandemic terrorizes his community.
"Forget about God, he told himself. Since when is God your business anyway?"
Throughout the events of Summer 1944, Bucky struggles with questions about his faith. He cannot imagine how a God that is so highly revered can allow for tragedy to destroy innocent lives. As Bucky thinks more deeply about his relationship to God, he begins to resent God for his own misfortunes (namely, the premature death of his own mother). Bucky's resentment intensifies as he encounters more adversity.
"I don't believe it. He was indestructible. He was a brick wall."
Bucky is devastated when he hears news of Jake's death. Bucky sees himself as vulnerable to misfortune, but he finds it hard to believe that Jake could suffer an even more unfortunate fate. Bucky's reaction demonstrates how highly he values physical strength and stature. Ultimately, Jake's death sends Bucky into a destructive, depressive spiral.
"I remember one night Bill Blomback telling the kids about the Indians, telling them how the Indians believed that it was an evil being, shooting them with an invisible arrow, that caused certain of their diseases..."
Bucky recalls a story Mr. Blomback told around the campfire. Although the camp director was merely sharing a fictional story, it magnified Bucky's insecurity and fueled his guilt. 25 years after Bucky contracted polio, he continues to believe that he carried the disease to his different communities. This thought haunts Bucky, and he allows it to affect his happiness and life trajectory. It is also worth noting that Bucky, who once was a competitive javelin thrower, envisions himself as the physical embodiment of the "invisible arrow."
