The Shim is the Difference

The discussion about the shim that the narrator proposed to use to fix Johns handlebars in chapter five is a perfect example to describe the inherent difference between John and the narrator. The narrator is a practical man who looks at the world and thinks how he can maximize  the use and value of the materials and situations given to him. He sees a problem and finds a solution not thinking about how the solution will look but rather how it will work. When he saw that the handlebars were loose, he immediately thought that a piece of a beer can in the socket would tighten the grip and stop the handlebars from wobbling around. 

John saw this a different way, John sees things as an artist would. He likes to imagine how the solution will affect the image of the final product. In Johns mind, a cheap beer can cannot possibly be the solution to a problem with an expensive machine. This is not a viable solution in Johns mind because it doesn't look right. John sees the idea of using a piece of a beer can on a fine machine as a desecration of the machine. John is the type of person who needs to buy the piece that was intended to solve the problem in order to actually role the problem. He is the type of person that publicity agents dream of because he will fall for every marketing scam that involves the image of the product. While the narrator is resourceful and solves the problem, John make the solution look good.