Jimmy

I figured the character of Jimmy deserved a post all his own.  I really can't make up my mind about him.  I don't know if Lester made him up in one of his imaginings or not.  And I don't know if he's Lester's father or not.  We know he's a real person, obviously - Uncle Ken knows him.  But, after the initial meeting at the gas station, did Lester's imagination take over?  This seems to be the case certainly in the last scene, when he "dies."  And the confrontation between Jim and Ken  - and later, when Lester goes to see Jim and he brushes him off - makes one think that the relationship between Lester and Jim isn't real.  

Imagined or not, Jim is integral to Lester's character development.  Lester had come to think of him as his father whether he really was or not, and the loss of him at the end (even though symbolic) is what spurs him to realize the importance of what Uncle Ken is doing for him, and allows him to begin progressing from the state of grief he's been in since the death of his mother.  

If Jim is real, however, it is interesting that he is using the time spent with Lester in much the same way that Lester himself is using it, as a way to escape the reality of his life - this is especially seen in the scene when he plays hockey with Lester and insists on reliving the last game he ever played.  

I hope we end up talking about this in class - because I'd really like to know what people's opinions are, if they're interpreting Jim as real or not.  Not that I think it matters, when you really consider it - what matters is the outcome, like I said before - but it's still interesting.  And impressive that the author has made it so ambiguous.