We here at Shmoop sometimes hate having choices. Do we wear the red shirt or the blue one? Do we bike to work or drive? Which celebrity should we stalk mercilessly in hopes of collecting their half-eaten meals to sell on eBay for a tidy profit? Okay, the last one might just be us, but you get the point. Choices can be difficult things to iron out. Poor Marvin K. Mooney has a lot of choices. He can leave by stilts, mail, jet, or Bumble-Boat to name a few. But we find ourselves wondering if all these choices ultimately hide the true choice. Does Marvin K. have the choice to go or not? By which we mean, does the power of choice belong to Marvin K. or the Narrator? Both? Let's read Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! and find out.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why is the pointy-hand man so angry?
A: He wants Marvin to leave, but Marvin won't do it. The pointy-hand man wants the choice to be his, but it seems like it might be Marvin's.
Q: How can Marvin travel by fish?
A: Actually a lot of animals travel by fish. Remoras travel on sharks for protection. In return, they help clean the shark. And some people train dolphins to let them ride them. But of course, dolphins aren't technically fish.
Q: Why does Marvin choose not to leave?
A: We can't say for certain. Why do you think Marvin doesn't want to leave yet?
Q: What way would you choose to go?
A: Zumble-Zay, of course, because then you get an elephant out of the deal. What about you?