The Last Lecture: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

One of Randy’s earliest dreams was to be the coolest guy at any carnival or amusement park—to Randy this was always the guy carrying around the enormous stuffed animal. Randy’s dad felt the same way, and, given his family’s competitiveness, capturing the largest stuffed animal became a heated competition. Randy then asks his lecture audience if they’ve ever walked around a carnival with a huge stuffed animal and felt how people looked at them, and then he asks if they’ve ever used a giant stuffed animal to woo a woman? Randy has, and he married her. As an adult, when Randy showed up at home with bigger and bigger stuffed animals, his family suspected him of cheating. But he never did—Randy might have leaned (it’s the only way to beat the ring toss), but he never cheated.

Randy reveals the secret to winning giant stuffed animals: long arms, and a small amount of disposable income. Randy has been blessed to have both in his life. At his last lecture, Randy shows photos of his giant stuffed animal collection. But, since it’s the digital age, he thinks the audience might believe he digitally manipulated the pictures, so he has his students walk from the wings of the stage, each carrying a giant stuffed animal he’s won over the years. Randy, knowing Jai wouldn’t need this many stuffed animals after he’s gone, decides that the best thing to do is to give them away—so that’s what he does. After the lecture, people from the audience are free to take one. And they do, including one student who, Randy later learns, also has cancer. After the lecture, she walks up, selects the giant elephant, and takes it away. In Randy’s words, “She got the elephant in the room.”