Norma

During last week's discussion about the ending of The Memory of Running, there was plenty of disagreement on how good/realistic the way that Norma appeared at the end was, and how well it fit with the rest of the book. However, pretty much everyone agreed on one thing: that Norma and Smithy should end up together. I was sort of surprised by this, as I personally really didn't like Norma's relationship with Smithy, as it seemed very strange to me. The dynamics of the relationship between Smithy and Norma don't actually change that much from when they're both kids to where they are at the end of the book. 

When Norma and Smithy are younger, we see that she sort of follows Smithy around a lot. She really wants his affection and for him to interact with her, though he often ignores her. She is very needy and generally annoying in how much she says he likes him. This is all very similar to the way Norma speaks during the phone calls. The way she says "I love you" to Smithy over and over again even though he never says it back is the same as how she used to say it to him before her accident and separation from the Ides. She is also still sort of searching for affection from Smithy, as she occasionally forces him into complimenting her by the way that she talks. A new part of her character is that she now often talks about how she is strong and independent, and how she can manage by herself. While this definitely shows how she's developed and how she's no longer just the little girl chasing after Smithy, I would say that there's definitely still an element of her trying to impress him by saying that she can manage by herself.

This parallel to their relationship from the past makes this seem to me like she's not the right choice for Smithy. He's come such a long way in so many other areas of his life with his journey across the country, and I was a bit disappointed that he didn't really evolve in this area of his life. He gets in better shape and stops drinking, gains a lot of confidence, and even is able to reflect on his feelings about Bethany. I understand that he wants to keep some connection to home, and Norma represents that, and that he needs help and funding on his journey, but I feel like this relationship limits his continued development. The other thing that makes me not like Smithy's relationship with Norma is that Smithy seems to feel that he has a responsibility to Norma because of how he abandoned her after the crash. It seems to me like he's sort of driven by guilt to stick with Norma and to have a relationship with her, as he clearly has a lot of regret about his earlier actions.

What do you guys think about the Smithy/Norma relationship?