Although there were many things about the story that struck me, I would have to say one of the most poignant was the concept of "power" in the text. I mentioned this in class, but, physically, Edward is powerless. Unable to move on his own, he has no say in what he does or where he goes during his life. His journey is miraculous because he had no control over where he went, yet he went where he was needed most.
Nevertheless, at the same time, Edward becomes powerful. When we're children, we always hear about the importance of listening to other people. Not just listening to instructions, but listening how others feel and what is going on with them; that way, we are able to connect with them more. Edward gains this skill over the course of his journey, becoming invaluable to those who meet him because he is able to listen for as long as they need him. They discuss their troubles and longings with him because, as a china rabbit, he is unable to repeat them or vocally judge them. Although he's just a toy, everyone confides in him because he becomes the perfect ear.
So, overall, I guess what I'm trying to say is that although he is physically powerless, the comfort he is able to bring people simply by being there and listening gives him another sort of power, one where he is able to soothe and heal others.
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I have to say that I was going to write about that exact thing - that throughout the story, Edward relies on other people/forces of nature/the world to move him along.
Perhaps it is saying something about allowing the world to carry us instead of trying to constantly struggle against it to forge our own path - perhaps our own path can only emerge if we feel the current and learn to be carried, to be powerless.
Him not being able to move really bothered me. I see what you are saying about this other kind of power, but I still don't think it makes up for his lack of ability to do anything about it. People talk to Edward as a reflection of himself, just like we talked about with his name constantly changing. They can say whatever they want and think that the answer they are receiving is what they want to hear. In a sense, this concept reminds me of Lyra in the alethiometer. She feels as though she is talking to the alethiometer, but in reality, the compass is jsut a reflection of her own thoughts; a way to compress the many things she thinks about and make them coherent.
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