| Books-Commentary - Robert A. Heinlein |
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Did Rod Walker get dropped on his head from birth?
That's the only conclusion you can reach after reading one of Heinlein's greatest books, "Tunnel in the Sky". It's the incredibly interesting story of a bunch of kids/scouts who use a spacegate to go on a survival course on another planet. But then things get wrong and they get stuck there. The story focuses on one kid, Rod Walker, and his fight to survive.
Normally Heinlein's protagonists are likeable, but Rod was so thinking impaired to make him unlikeable. Consider:
1) He didn't even know that Jackie was a girl.
2) He was buddy buddy with Yohan Braun, the guy who slugged him and took his clothes.
3) He let a film crew put war paint on him and take photos.
4) He built up a viable community and then let and older boy, Grant Cowper, take everything over from him.
5) He let bullies beat up him seriously not once but twice, even when he had weapons/allies within reach.
What conclusion can you reach? It's still a great story, but you can't help but to feel sorry with Rod rather than identify with him.....
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The commentator Chris
posts on 2/27/2006 9:13:32 AM
Rod seems to me to be one of the most believable Heinlein characters because of all the character flaws just mentioned. Yes, i also feel that not recognizing jacki as girl would have been difficult, but it is far from impossible. As to johann attacking him, i had never read that from the book. In fact, i seem to recall that johann and his dog were killed before Rod was attacked. Finally, the political railroading was the point of the book, and rod himself seems to believe later that it was best that Grant was mayor.
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