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The degree of Esau and Jacob's struggle is emphasized by the word va- yitrozzu which comes from the root rzz meaning " to tear apart, to shatter." The comparison falters, however, when one realizes Will and Tom never indulged in such a violent struggle.
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During their childhood, Tom and Will were seldom apart. They gave each other support, encouragement, and the strength to persevere in the face of parental indifference. [103] Of course their intertwining adolescent years eventually unraveled as they reached adulthood, Will pursuing photography and fame in an attempt to fill the emotional void, Tom drifting into an unremarkable and for the most part internal existence.
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Tom, however, never hid behind the adjunct meaning of a career. He never acquired the rhetoric of achievement. In fact his life never moved much beyond the here and now.
Nevertheless, in spite of a brutal struggle with alcoholism, Tom did manage to preserve his sense of humor, and in his twelve-step program, inspired many admirers who to this day speak highly of him.
| 23 'Terry Borowska interview. |
Of the hard times that came his way, he experienced the greatest grief during those eight years when he was estranged from his brother or in his words "when the old rug was pulled out from under old Tom." It is hardly a coincidence that during this period he succumbed to chemical dependencies, went on unemployment, and prematurely ended a budding relationship with a young schoolteacher. The Navid- son Record never explains what came between Tom and Will, though it implies Tom envied Navy's success and was increasingly dissatisfied with his own accomplishments. [104]
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In his article "Brothers In Arms No More" published in The Village Voice, Carlos Brillant observes that Tom and Will's estrangement began with the birth of Chad: "While it's complete speculation on my part, I wonder if the large amount of energy required to raise a family pulled Will's attention away from his brother. Suddenly Tom discovered his brother—his only supporter and sympathizer —was devoting more and more time to his son. Tom may have felt abandoned." [105]
Annabelle Whitten echoes these sentiments when she points out how Tom occasionally referred to himself as "orphaned at the