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Duke ran away from home; Gary left on his own accord to go to college. Are there parallels between the two life-stories that would lend to the relationship between the two characters? What do you think drew Duke and Gary together?

Happy to start this off ... even though Gary left on his own accord, I still had the sense that he was running from something. Perhaps Duke recognized this in him when they met later on and it allowed for a strong foundation even though early one they didn't connect regularly.

I agree that they were both running from something to a degree. Duke seemed to want to impart his wisdom upon Gary so that he wouldn't be as reckless. They both recognized that they came from similar lifestyles in regards to being addicts.

holsam_87 wrote: ↑04 May 2018, 18:29 I agree that they were both running from something to a degree. Duke seemed to want to impart his wisdom upon Gary so that he wouldn't be as reckless. They both recognized that they came from similar lifestyles in regards to being addicts.

I think that being addicts would be a good basis to draw them together but their personalities had to fit together too.

They were both running from something. While Duke was still addicted to meth, he had learned from his alcohol addiction. He probably saw something in Gary that reminded him of himself and hoped he could help Gary to learn from his own mistakes so Gary did not have to keep mistakes to learn like Duke did.

I guess what they were both going through in life is what helped them come together. Duke was coming from a highly dysfunctional family and he is ill. Gary is depressed and confused. I believe that the bond they form was due to their imperfections.

Christina O Phillips wrote: ↑05 May 2018, 12:08 They were both running from something. While Duke was still addicted to meth, he had learned from his alcohol addiction. He probably saw something in Gary that reminded him of himself and hoped he could help Gary to learn from his own mistakes so Gary did not have to keep mistakes to learn like Duke did.

What you said does make sense, and I also do agree with your point of view. I think they were both trying to find solutions within each other, which formed the bond.

Snowflake wrote: ↑04 May 2018, 20:03

holsam_87 wrote: ↑04 May 2018, 18:29 I agree that they were both running from something to a degree. Duke seemed to want to impart his wisdom upon Gary so that he wouldn't be as reckless. They both recognized that they came from similar lifestyles in regards to being addicts.

I think that being addicts would be a good basis to draw them together but their personalities had to fit together too.

I agree with everything that you said except for the "personalities had to fit together" part. People can have completely different personalities, yet still be drawn to each other. My best friend and I are very close, but we are the exact opposites.

According to the law of attraction, like attracts like. So, I would say that Duke and Gary are two dysfunctional souls drawn together by their weakness for alcohol.

KLafser wrote: ↑04 May 2018, 09:23 Duke ran away from home; Gary left on his own accord to go to college. Are there parallels between the two life-stories that would lend to the relationship between the two characters? What do you think drew Duke and Gary together?

The love of alcohol and the circus drew Duke and Gary together.

They both were products of dysfunctional families who sustained themselves through addiction. This was the implicit connectivity between them.

I think each was drawn to the other for different reasons. Duke liked to adopt people, especially those that did not fit into society. When he was younger it was Wubby, Lucy, and the Clowns, but as he got older he still was drawn to the tattooed outsider like Starlight.

Gary is desperate for someone to believe in him or at least to be a close friend. He went from drinking heavily to make friends in high school and college joining the Sacred Heart Community Board and befriending local men who needed help. After he was fired, Duke provided a strong influence both to help him gain some control and as someone with a crazier life story.

The one item I believe did not draw them together was alcoholism. While they both had problems with alcohol at times, Duke had passed that point in his life and held a deep mistrust for drinking. It was more of a barrier than anything else.

I think that Duke saw the alcoholic in Gary and recognized himself from that time in his own life. It seemed that Duke wanted to help the kid avoid ending up in the same place that he had found himself all those years ago.

Dolor wrote: ↑07 May 2018, 02:10
The love of alcohol and the circus drew Duke and Gary together.

I think it was more of an addiction to alcohol rather than a love for it. Most addicts want to stop loving it but can't without help/treatment.

Both Gary and Duke were escaping their homes of origin. They sought "family" in other ways while fighting addiction along the way. They both searched for a way to be centered, which it sounds like both found in the end.