The dilemma in many stories where one of the protagonists is mentally handicapped is
where we stop considering them as one of "us." When Roger Ebert reflected on the
movie, Rain Man, in a review in the Chicago Sun-Times (16 December 1988), he
questioned the difference between knowing a person with autism and knowing a cat. It
was more or less like saying, do you treat a person who is unable to communicate like an
animal, or do you take into consideration certain capabilities that are supposedly inherent
in all human beings?
Tim Laskowski, in his debut novel, Every Good Boy Does Fine, confronts this
question and tries to deliver an answer by helping make known the thoughts of one man
who has a hard time being understood. Robert Nyquist is a character with blunt thoughts,
a fair amount of frustration and conflicting feelings regarding what it means to retain his
own identity while physically inept. Through to the end of the book, Laskowski feeds us
with thoughts regarding the sanctity of mind and where the responsibility eventually lies
when it comes to understanding the handicapped.
When we first meet Nyquist in the novel, we learn that he was once a music student, who
became brain damaged after falling on a climbing trip. We follow his occasionally
disjointed thoughts through a period where he attempts to learn basic functions that will
lead to some semblance of independence, and release him from the group home where he
lives. However, after not being able to carry his thoughts through and seeing his desires
crushed under brick walls of rejection and the disgust of others, Robert vents.
Laskowski's writing is subtle but his impact strong. He succeeds in describing the
difficulty Robert has with simple tasks like making a sandwich and feeding himself,
while simultaneously unveiling the complexity of thoughts and emotion involved when
Robert communicates with others. The most challenging part of the novel for the reader,
and possibly the writer, lieswhere Robert attempts to have sexual intercourse with his
ailing lover, Lorna, who is dying of multiple sclerosis. Until this point, we have been
allowed to empathise with Robert's thoughts, and then suddenly we are witness to his
uncontrollable impulses.
One of the most significant messages carried by Every Good Boy Does Fine is
that reality is not obliged to make anyone's dreams come true. Nyquist, who at first
desires to complete the "Transition Program" and move into an apartment, becomes
unsure of independence and skeptical concerning his ability to blend in with the "normal"
world. His idea of normality involves being able to play the piano and having his case
manager fall in love with him. Robert dreams of total recovery, which is impossible. A
consequence of dreaming is dissatisfaction. No matter how much Robert progresses, his
desire for more causes him to fall short of success. He sabotages his entry into the
Transition Program by thinking that it is better to be normal with the disabled, then
forever trying to be accepted. He becomes afraid of having to take care of himself and
wants to go back to being cared for. He wants Jodi, and avoids Lorna, whose sickness
causes her to slip further away from him. The inability for Robert to accept his reality
prevents him from moving closer to fulfilling his desires.
After nine years of writing part-time, Laskowski has produced a well-crafted novel which
delivers realistic portrayals and revealing insights into the world of the physically
disabled. The author, a case manager himself, has taken on the daunting task of exploring
the mind of the un-understandable and showing that the struggle to understand and accept
is universal. To accomplish this, Laskowski drew upon his experiences with Dan Lavelle,
who suffered from brain injury after being injured in a car wreck, to create a character
that comes across as a powerful example of the human condition. The characters,
especially those of Robert, his son and caregivers, add depth in a simple, coherent
manner to issues and emotions that are often complicated. The dialogue and the actions
are not created to draw singularly on reactions of sympathy or revolt. The result is the
reader being the challenge of confronting a wide range of feelings concerning the plight
and behaviour of themselves in regard to the physically handicapped.
— 19 December 2003
