In Hunches in Bunches, the mind is shown to be like a Colosseum for thoughts and ideas. Many will enter; only one will be victorious. But competition in this poem is not about competing with the ideas of others but about competing with our own thoughts. The boy's various Hunches propose very different activities to curb the boy's fidgets. They argue, compete, and, in one scene, duke it out to win the boy's choice. In the end, the boy resorts to arguing with himself to choose a winning Hunch. It won't be easy, but victory sure will be sweet.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why are the Hunches in competition with each other if they want to help the boy?
A: Maybe they aren't really trying to help the boy. Maybe they're more like salesmen trying to sell their particular hunch, and the boy's the only customer they have to compete over.
Q:But aren't the Hunches part of the kid's imagination?
A:Then he's really competing with himself, isn't he? Or perhaps we should say his own desires are competing with each other.
Q: How does that work?
A: Since he wants to do everything, it means the competition will be fierce. On the plus side, no matter which desire wins, so does the boy.