Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind

In Big Dumb Eyes, each of the various cars that Nick Bargatze owns represents a different stage of his life. Taken as a whole, his journey from car to car symbolizes the author’s personal advancement as he matures and achieves success in his career. Bargatze’s first car is a used 1985 Mazda, which his parents buy for him when he is in high school. Bargatze’s dream car at the time was a brand-new black Chevrolet Camaro, but he is content with the car he gets, even though it already has 60,000 miles on it and it barely runs. He nicknames it “Old Blue.” A few years later, Bargatze gets a new car—a “giant, champagne-colored Buick,” which he nicknames “the Real Car’s Car” (90). It is in this Buick that he first bonds with Laura, his future wife.

After this, Bargatze works briefly as an anti-drunk driving educator for high school programs, so he drives a specially programmed Dodge Neon used to simulate driving while intoxicated. He drives another specialized work vehicle when he works as a water meter reader. Bargatze loves this job, because he spends much of his time napping and snacking in the company truck.