Edward Tulane

Yesterday in class, we spoke about how Edward's story is told only with regards to his sense of sight and the observations he makes. Since he is a porcelain china doll, he obviously does not have a sense of smell, taste or touch. This is why even when he is buried under piles of garbage, he never comments on the horrid stench of the waste, and even when his head smashes into several pieces at the end of the novel, he does not feel the physical pain associated with it. It is interesting that DiCamillo is able to tell such a rich story based solely on the things that Edward sees and what he feels. He is not affected by the things he cannot touch, smell or taste and as a result, all of his interactions are based on what he really feels-which is only influenced by the things he sees and hears. Even though we are often told to be wary of things we witness with our eyes, in Edward's case it is the opposite. Since he can only rely on his vision and hearing to formulate judgments on the many people he meets, he gets a better look at their personalities and characters. For instance, because he lacked the ability to smell, he was not able to compare the smells of Abiline's well-furnished home with the stench of the hobo and his dog. As a result, he did not judge the hobo for his presumably bad body odor, and rather was able to appreciate his generosity as a human being.

Similarly, because Edward could not feel physical pain, it made him really aware of his inner emotions. None of the physical trials he endured left a lasting impact on him because he was immune from bodily pain, but when he felt the loss of all those that cared for him, it was from the depths of his being. It is easy to track Edward's growth as a character because of his development from a self-centered, judgmental doll, to a very emotionally aware hero that earns the reader's empathy and love.

Personally, I did not like Edward at the beginning of the story. His self-obsession and pompous attitude was annoying. He thought of himself being above others, and almost at the level of humans. This made me less and less likely to feel his pain when he was separated from Abiline, and I was actually kind of relieved that a young, innocent child like Abiline was freed from being associated with such a selfish and pretentious figure in her life. Edward's gradual development as a hero helped change my perception of him, as I enjoyed his altered views on life and relationships after his fall from grace. By the end of the novel, in addition to being happy about his evolution as a character, I was glad that I actually believed that the changes he experienced with regard to his feelings were truly believable, and seemed like lasting changes. There was no doubt in my mind that Edward's new personality was a result of some hard-hitting reality checks- that had changed him for the better, and forever.