I would like to take some time to evaluate the Chris Crutcher novel, "Whale Talk" in it's fufillment of the 6+1 traits of writing. Here we go:
#1: Ideas and Content: "Whale Talk" is a pretty dense book if based upon content. Many controversial issues are talked about multiple times and discussed openly in the book. The plot, however, is not jam-packed with drama. There is just enough content to barely keep the story going. I think that their could have been more main events to continue the story, or make me want to read on. There are also alot of ideas represented throughout. Though I may not agree with the ideas in particular, Chris Crutcher does add alot of opinions in the story to show character development.
#2: Organization: I think that overall, the book is organized in an average fashion. Sometimes the plot seems to jump around a bit and miss big or dramatic events that should've happened in order to create the situations represented. It doesn't seem as though the book is chronologically organized because T.J. goes back to alot of childhood memories, and so do the other characters in the book when they tell about their abuse stories or explain accidents. Also, the story delves into the past when explaining T.J.'s father's grief at an accident that happened many years ago. I think the story would have been easier to follow if maybe the memories the characters went back to were shorter, or maybe represented in the end as part of the conclusion of everything.
#3: Voice: Christ Crutcher's voice in this book is quite strong. Even though technically this book is fiction, I sometimes feel while I am reading it that Chris Crutcher is directly channeling his opinions through to his audience. the tone of voice characters use when describing their expieriences and the way they react to certain things shows Chris Crutcher's voice as a person. For example, he could have written that T.J.'s father was not remorseful at all about running over the little boy, but he chose to add that to the character dynamic.
#4: Word Choice: The word choice in "Whale Talk" is overall well-selected. This is especially because of the character Dan Hole. He is portrayed as the more..."intelligent" or "brighter vocabulary" person of the group. However, T.J. also uses well-though-out words and doesn't use much slang. Hardly any of the characters use slang, even though it's set in an 'urban' highschool.
#5: Sentence Fluency: Most of the sentences in this book flow quite well. However, there's some mess-ups it seems within the character dialogue. When the character's are having conversations, it seems awkward how they are put together. For example, when the boys get stuck in the snow and begin chatting, it awkwardly starts out with one of the characters asking how he got his "bionic leg." I'm not sure if that's how I would start a deep life chat.
#6: Conventions: The conventions in this book are overall almost perfectly placed. (It is a published book, after all.) There is a few parts where the grammer doesn't seem to fit with some dictionary-esque definitions, but if you think about it for more than two seconds it's easy to see that Chris Crutcher was just trying to include an element of the character, rather than not realizing a simple grammer rule.
#7: Presentation: The cover of this book shows a boy running (presumably away from something), and is titled Whale Talk. The two at a glance do not seem to fit together whatsoever. I think this book could have been presented much better. Perhaps a more fitting title? (Whales are only mentioned once in the entire book, with not much connection to the plot). Also, there is nothing about running in the story, and there are no scenes with people running in them in this story. Maybe a pool or a school hallway...a letter jacket, would have been better. (Though the boy who's running happens to be wearing a letter jacket.)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Blog 3
I find the relationship between Dan Hole and Coach “Icko” is quite interesting, to put it without bias. At times it annoys me with its immaturity, but when I’m not sick of it, it sometimes manages to make me laugh. I’d like to take some time to dissect a few snippets of dialogue that occured between the two characters:
When Coach Icko wants to turn Dan Hole into a “a regular guy who’s able to converse with his peers”, the book states that his approach is to demand “ten push-ups every time he uses a word he doesn’t understand”. Dan Hole is complaining one day and states “ I’m punished for bringing aristocratic flair to the language and vocabulary of these aquatic Cro-Magnons?” he says. Icko replies with “You’re lucky I know ‘aristocratic.’ Gimme ten more.”
Why does Coach Icko have to be so hard on Dan? I don't see why his "non-knowledge" of larger and or more descriptive words should cause Dan to mute his vibrant vocabulary. Shouldn't the kid be aloud to talk however he pleases? (I mean, supposedly this swim team is a "group of misfits" as described by T.J.) The more eccentric the vocabulary, the better.
It also really bothers me that the coach punishes Dan for using 'larger' words because it could be causing him embarrassment in front of his team. If all he wants to do is simply fit in with a group of people for the first time and be able to be himself, a stymied vocabulary would lead to altered personality, which could lead to the possibility of quietness or in Dan distancing himself from the group. I have to say that if I were getting picked in front of a group of people for supposedly not being able to even communicate with them because of how I chose words, or a part of my personality, I'd be ashamed or embarrassed. In the least, a little bit more distant than if I felt comfortable. Coach Icko is pushing Dan away from his teammates simply because he talks with a large vocabulary.
Also what bothers me about this relationship is the representaition of Coach Icko. I think it's 'unfair' to his character. Here we have a homeless man who's willing to give up everything (and I mean everything) just to send his own son to college. For a better education no less! Why is he the one trying to 'dumb down' another student for being educated and using it well? Of all people, I would think that Coach Icko would be right alongside Dan, maybe picking up a few words himself for better presentation. The way he puts Dan down makes Icko seem so...UN-educated. And that's a slight conflict of character, because it's made quite obvious how much he really values education.
When Coach Icko wants to turn Dan Hole into a “a regular guy who’s able to converse with his peers”, the book states that his approach is to demand “ten push-ups every time he uses a word he doesn’t understand”. Dan Hole is complaining one day and states “ I’m punished for bringing aristocratic flair to the language and vocabulary of these aquatic Cro-Magnons?” he says. Icko replies with “You’re lucky I know ‘aristocratic.’ Gimme ten more.”
Why does Coach Icko have to be so hard on Dan? I don't see why his "non-knowledge" of larger and or more descriptive words should cause Dan to mute his vibrant vocabulary. Shouldn't the kid be aloud to talk however he pleases? (I mean, supposedly this swim team is a "group of misfits" as described by T.J.) The more eccentric the vocabulary, the better.
It also really bothers me that the coach punishes Dan for using 'larger' words because it could be causing him embarrassment in front of his team. If all he wants to do is simply fit in with a group of people for the first time and be able to be himself, a stymied vocabulary would lead to altered personality, which could lead to the possibility of quietness or in Dan distancing himself from the group. I have to say that if I were getting picked in front of a group of people for supposedly not being able to even communicate with them because of how I chose words, or a part of my personality, I'd be ashamed or embarrassed. In the least, a little bit more distant than if I felt comfortable. Coach Icko is pushing Dan away from his teammates simply because he talks with a large vocabulary.
Also what bothers me about this relationship is the representaition of Coach Icko. I think it's 'unfair' to his character. Here we have a homeless man who's willing to give up everything (and I mean everything) just to send his own son to college. For a better education no less! Why is he the one trying to 'dumb down' another student for being educated and using it well? Of all people, I would think that Coach Icko would be right alongside Dan, maybe picking up a few words himself for better presentation. The way he puts Dan down makes Icko seem so...UN-educated. And that's a slight conflict of character, because it's made quite obvious how much he really values education.
Blog 2
When the team of swimming boys manages to get run off the road on a snowy evening after their first meet, they are forced to wait it out together in the cold. It ends up being a sort of “bonding experience” for the boys, a time where they open up about themselves. At the end of the swim season they have all become a strong group and almost like brothers, which really affects the plot when they band together to fight for what they want. Real-life brother and sister relationships are also very important and I wanted to talk a little about these relationships myself and how important they are.
When I was little and my sister and I would get in an apocalyptic battle over dolls or something ridiculous (beanie babies were sure popular), there was always plenty of drama to go around. After we’d gone off to our separate rooms and thought about what we’d really been fighting about, it was put in better perspective. Then we’d end up bumping into each other somewhere (our mother would put us in a room together to “talk”), and it would seem like nothing ever happened. But it took time to get to that spot. My point is, that when you’re stuck living with and growing up with a person from since you can first remember, you get a little sick of them. Eventually their tiny habits and little quirks start to make you want to scream in their face. How come I never saw that in this book?
These boys were stuck together in even more ‘cramped’ quarters than an average family in a house. They all either had a flaring temper, self-righteousness, a ‘bionic’ leg, or an ability to be completely mute 89% of the time. Wouldn’t you get a little annoyed? The team was forced to practice at their local community center, which was too small to have even a standard competition-size pool. They bump into each other’s heads during practice, and are coached by a staff outcast and a homeless man. (Who happens to live in the very spot they practice. He could be considered a member of the ‘family’, too.) I would also think that after they’d lost nearly the entirety of their swim meets, that their chumminess and moral would go down. They’d start to blame each other for their losses. However, I can excuse Chris from not instigating conflict because he may not really understand what’s going on. I don’t want to be a person who’s thinking ‘conflict!conflict!’ because I really don’t even like when there’s a lot of fighting and swear words flying across the page. I just want it to be realistic. If it’s not set in 2040, the relationships represented should be real.
I also think that in today’s highschool environments, the kids would not accept each other as easily. They might see one another in school and give a cold shoulder because the other kid doesn’t run with their crowd. Doesn’t this happen everyday? Instead, we have the school bully standing up for someone who can’t fight for themselves. It’s been said that bullies hate weakness and I wonder why a bully would feel the need to rescue someone who couldn’t stand up for themselves.
Another relationship that I think wouldn’t have occurred would have been T.J.’s proudness of ‘his’ team. At the end of the book he was fighting for ‘his’ guys to get letter jackets so that he himself could show them all off to the school. His idea was to shove it to the jerks of the school who believed in Cutter High’s prestigious athletic program. T.J. became somewhat of a father to the team it seemed. Why was he a character that was considered more mature than the others? I almost got a feel that he thought he was better off than them, and the races he won were just so they could all get letter jackets in the end. I think that if this were set in a highschool today and portrayed more realistically, T.J.’s attitude would have caused him to become distant from the team, and in turn, his teammates would resent him for it.
All in all, I think that the relationship’s presented in Whale Talk could have been much more realistic.
When I was little and my sister and I would get in an apocalyptic battle over dolls or something ridiculous (beanie babies were sure popular), there was always plenty of drama to go around. After we’d gone off to our separate rooms and thought about what we’d really been fighting about, it was put in better perspective. Then we’d end up bumping into each other somewhere (our mother would put us in a room together to “talk”), and it would seem like nothing ever happened. But it took time to get to that spot. My point is, that when you’re stuck living with and growing up with a person from since you can first remember, you get a little sick of them. Eventually their tiny habits and little quirks start to make you want to scream in their face. How come I never saw that in this book?
These boys were stuck together in even more ‘cramped’ quarters than an average family in a house. They all either had a flaring temper, self-righteousness, a ‘bionic’ leg, or an ability to be completely mute 89% of the time. Wouldn’t you get a little annoyed? The team was forced to practice at their local community center, which was too small to have even a standard competition-size pool. They bump into each other’s heads during practice, and are coached by a staff outcast and a homeless man. (Who happens to live in the very spot they practice. He could be considered a member of the ‘family’, too.) I would also think that after they’d lost nearly the entirety of their swim meets, that their chumminess and moral would go down. They’d start to blame each other for their losses. However, I can excuse Chris from not instigating conflict because he may not really understand what’s going on. I don’t want to be a person who’s thinking ‘conflict!conflict!’ because I really don’t even like when there’s a lot of fighting and swear words flying across the page. I just want it to be realistic. If it’s not set in 2040, the relationships represented should be real.
I also think that in today’s highschool environments, the kids would not accept each other as easily. They might see one another in school and give a cold shoulder because the other kid doesn’t run with their crowd. Doesn’t this happen everyday? Instead, we have the school bully standing up for someone who can’t fight for themselves. It’s been said that bullies hate weakness and I wonder why a bully would feel the need to rescue someone who couldn’t stand up for themselves.
Another relationship that I think wouldn’t have occurred would have been T.J.’s proudness of ‘his’ team. At the end of the book he was fighting for ‘his’ guys to get letter jackets so that he himself could show them all off to the school. His idea was to shove it to the jerks of the school who believed in Cutter High’s prestigious athletic program. T.J. became somewhat of a father to the team it seemed. Why was he a character that was considered more mature than the others? I almost got a feel that he thought he was better off than them, and the races he won were just so they could all get letter jackets in the end. I think that if this were set in a highschool today and portrayed more realistically, T.J.’s attitude would have caused him to become distant from the team, and in turn, his teammates would resent him for it.
All in all, I think that the relationship’s presented in Whale Talk could have been much more realistic.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Blog One: Chris' Perspective
The following “Diary Entries” are the words and ideas of Lauren Schwinghammer, written in the perspective of Chris Coughlin: (Crutcher 14.)
Yesterday we all hads a swim meet at Jefferson. T.J. did so good! I liked riding on the bus. We got stuck in the snow on the way home, though. It was really cold. Then Andy started talking. Real soft. I pretended to sleep but I really wasn't! He told everyoned about when he was younger. His mom's boyfriend hurt him real bad when they were alone. He told us how he would tie him to a cupboard and leave. I felt bad for Andy. If no one would have laughed at me, I might had hugged himI went tah school today and seen T.J. from the swim team. He waved. Even when Mike Barbour looked like he'd punch him because he waved at me. I smiled back and i got that 'furry' feeling inside (like my brother used to say.) I only got that feeling one time before in my life, when my big brother would hug me. Does this mean T.J.'s my friend? I hope so. At swimming today, Coach Icko says "hop in the water boys" and Andy makes a sound like a frog. T.J. smiles and hops in. So I do, too. I laugh and swim laps. I love swimming time because I never get tired. And. Nobody teases me or tells me to take off my brother's special jacket.
Two Weeks LaterI want to tell you something. Yesterday I took out some letters my brother had written me from his school. It was a fancy one. My mom said "coal-odge" alot when we saw my brother. But I saw these letters he wrote to me when he was not home. I got so sad because here what they said: "I'm going to be moving soon, but I want you to know that you can call me anytime. I love you." I start to cry sometimes when people tease me about wearing his jacket. It is just a jacket. Sometimes I get beat up for it. Crying doesnt help, though. My mom has been saying this since my brother's been gone. I miss him very much every day. When I go to school and show people, anyone who will look, his picture in the trophy case, and all the shiny things he won for Cutter, I remember how much better he is than me. And why I never fit in. This is because all of the kids remember my brother. Then when they look at me, it's a dissappointment. I am not as smart as him, or tall. I'm not strong either. That's why I swim. Swimming makes me feel like a cardinal. (Like a bird.) I can fly, I can move easy, and I don't have to hear Mike Barbour yelling "Chicken!" or "Loser!" in my ear.
(Three Months Later)
If I had to chose my favorite person ever. It would be T.J. He saved me from all these other guys. (The ones who push me.) When T.J. stands tall and swims kindof like a fish, I want to be like him. I see my brother reflected in the water. I want to have confindense like him, too. He is not afraid to stand up for me when I’m getting pushed around, and he’s DEFINETLY not afraid to stand up for himself. I’ve seen people bother him because of the things he thinks about, and sometimes bump into him and then laugh and say jokes about his name or skin. He can just forget it. I want to forget all of the people who have hurt me in the past or who make fun of me for who I am. I mean, I sometimes think it’s my fault that I’m like this. (Not fitting in, I mean.)
One Week Later
I got a letter jacket today! It’s for swimming. I kept getting good times. And then better again. I haven’t been as bothered by teasing lately, especially since I stopped wearing my brother’s jacket ,too. The difference is, now I have my own.
Yesterday we all hads a swim meet at Jefferson. T.J. did so good! I liked riding on the bus. We got stuck in the snow on the way home, though. It was really cold. Then Andy started talking. Real soft. I pretended to sleep but I really wasn't! He told everyoned about when he was younger. His mom's boyfriend hurt him real bad when they were alone. He told us how he would tie him to a cupboard and leave. I felt bad for Andy. If no one would have laughed at me, I might had hugged himI went tah school today and seen T.J. from the swim team. He waved. Even when Mike Barbour looked like he'd punch him because he waved at me. I smiled back and i got that 'furry' feeling inside (like my brother used to say.) I only got that feeling one time before in my life, when my big brother would hug me. Does this mean T.J.'s my friend? I hope so. At swimming today, Coach Icko says "hop in the water boys" and Andy makes a sound like a frog. T.J. smiles and hops in. So I do, too. I laugh and swim laps. I love swimming time because I never get tired. And. Nobody teases me or tells me to take off my brother's special jacket.
Two Weeks LaterI want to tell you something. Yesterday I took out some letters my brother had written me from his school. It was a fancy one. My mom said "coal-odge" alot when we saw my brother. But I saw these letters he wrote to me when he was not home. I got so sad because here what they said: "I'm going to be moving soon, but I want you to know that you can call me anytime. I love you." I start to cry sometimes when people tease me about wearing his jacket. It is just a jacket. Sometimes I get beat up for it. Crying doesnt help, though. My mom has been saying this since my brother's been gone. I miss him very much every day. When I go to school and show people, anyone who will look, his picture in the trophy case, and all the shiny things he won for Cutter, I remember how much better he is than me. And why I never fit in. This is because all of the kids remember my brother. Then when they look at me, it's a dissappointment. I am not as smart as him, or tall. I'm not strong either. That's why I swim. Swimming makes me feel like a cardinal. (Like a bird.) I can fly, I can move easy, and I don't have to hear Mike Barbour yelling "Chicken!" or "Loser!" in my ear.
(Three Months Later)
If I had to chose my favorite person ever. It would be T.J. He saved me from all these other guys. (The ones who push me.) When T.J. stands tall and swims kindof like a fish, I want to be like him. I see my brother reflected in the water. I want to have confindense like him, too. He is not afraid to stand up for me when I’m getting pushed around, and he’s DEFINETLY not afraid to stand up for himself. I’ve seen people bother him because of the things he thinks about, and sometimes bump into him and then laugh and say jokes about his name or skin. He can just forget it. I want to forget all of the people who have hurt me in the past or who make fun of me for who I am. I mean, I sometimes think it’s my fault that I’m like this. (Not fitting in, I mean.)
One Week Later
I got a letter jacket today! It’s for swimming. I kept getting good times. And then better again. I haven’t been as bothered by teasing lately, especially since I stopped wearing my brother’s jacket ,too. The difference is, now I have my own.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Sources
Definition of child abuse: http://www.carehouse.org/
Types of child abuse and neglect statistic: http://www.helpguide.org/
Child abuse affecting parenting, and society: http://www.helium.com/
Tennyson Children's Society information: http://www.childabuse.org/
All book information: Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk
Types of child abuse and neglect statistic: http://www.helpguide.org/
Child abuse affecting parenting, and society: http://www.helium.com/
Tennyson Children's Society information: http://www.childabuse.org/
All book information: Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk
Child Abuse
Child Abuse is defined as: "Harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, by a parent, a legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare, or by a teacher."
There are many forms of child abuse and the four most common main types are listed as:
1.physical abuse
2.sexual abuse
3.emotional abuse
4.neglect (Almost 60% of child abuse cases involve neglect)
Child abuse is a major issue in the book Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Many of the characters share their stories of abuse and open up about it.
One of the truths of child abuse is that if you are abused as a child, it will damage you psychologically for the rest of your life. The effects of being neglected or hurt by a parent will change how you make decisions later on in life, including how you treat your own children. A website talking about how Child Abuse affects society states "People who were abused as children are much more likely to end up mimicking that abusive behavior with their own children. The problems associated with child abuse will only continue and likely grow larger without active attempts to eliminate the problem." Another way that child abuse affects society is through money and funds dedicated to helping with the problem. A group (Prevent Child Abuse America) tried to figure out the amount of money used in trying to prevent child abuse in 2001. Their total came to more than 24.3 billion dollars.
Sometimes, there is not a way of getting help. A national study/survey that was published in 1995 states that "Another important finding was that the percentages of maltreated children who receive CPS investigation have decreased significantly since the NIS-2. The percentage of children receiving investigation among those who met the Harm Standard dropped from 44 percent to 28 percent, while the percentage of CPS investigation of children who met the Endangerment Standard fell from 51 percent to 33 percent." This means that the amount of child abuse cases that are reported and actually receive help has significantly declined. It also means that there are less children that would qualify for being "endangered".
Today, there are many places to go for help with abuse. One of these places is the Tennyson Center for Children. On their website they share their message and have full biographies of the children they've helped. The kids go in after being abused for so long, and "don't know how to be just kids". The Tennyson's objective is to put them through therapy and place them in a safe enviroment where they can grow into a well rounded child.
There are many forms of child abuse and the four most common main types are listed as:
1.physical abuse
2.sexual abuse
3.emotional abuse
4.neglect (Almost 60% of child abuse cases involve neglect)
Child abuse is a major issue in the book Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Many of the characters share their stories of abuse and open up about it.
One of the truths of child abuse is that if you are abused as a child, it will damage you psychologically for the rest of your life. The effects of being neglected or hurt by a parent will change how you make decisions later on in life, including how you treat your own children. A website talking about how Child Abuse affects society states "People who were abused as children are much more likely to end up mimicking that abusive behavior with their own children. The problems associated with child abuse will only continue and likely grow larger without active attempts to eliminate the problem." Another way that child abuse affects society is through money and funds dedicated to helping with the problem. A group (Prevent Child Abuse America) tried to figure out the amount of money used in trying to prevent child abuse in 2001. Their total came to more than 24.3 billion dollars.
Sometimes, there is not a way of getting help. A national study/survey that was published in 1995 states that "Another important finding was that the percentages of maltreated children who receive CPS investigation have decreased significantly since the NIS-2. The percentage of children receiving investigation among those who met the Harm Standard dropped from 44 percent to 28 percent, while the percentage of CPS investigation of children who met the Endangerment Standard fell from 51 percent to 33 percent." This means that the amount of child abuse cases that are reported and actually receive help has significantly declined. It also means that there are less children that would qualify for being "endangered".
Today, there are many places to go for help with abuse. One of these places is the Tennyson Center for Children. On their website they share their message and have full biographies of the children they've helped. The kids go in after being abused for so long, and "don't know how to be just kids". The Tennyson's objective is to put them through therapy and place them in a safe enviroment where they can grow into a well rounded child.
Background
The novel "Whale Talk", Written By Chris Crutcher, is the story of a highschool boy (T.J. Jones) starting his own swimming team of social outcasts with the far-away goal of outfitting them all in letter jackets to set his sights on. Set in present-day Cutter, (West Coast)(United States) where athletes and their accomplishments rule the school. When T.J. Jones sees a special-ed student being beat up by one of these athlete/bullies, he steps in. After a little inquiring as to the situation, he figures out that Chris (student) is being beaten up for not earning his own letter jacket. (It is the property of his deceased brother). The bully says "It's an honor to wear these colors. You don't put on the jacket your brother earned." (Crutcher ) T.J. then decides to make a stand for all the kids out there who don't fit in. He posts fliers all over school and eventually manages to assemble a small team of misfits. They begin to practice together at their local community center, All Night Fitness, (though the pool is nowhere near the size required at official swimming meets.) After recruiting the local homeless man as their interim coach, they begin to improve little by little and eventually begin competing at local competitions. Every single member of the team except T.J. performs horribly, but their morale remains the same, because they have built a strong team together. When T.J. makes it to the state meet, his teammates remain behind him and make the trip out east with him. When they return and the Athletic Comission refuses to grant the swim team letters though they met all their agreed-upon conditions, T.J. stands behind his team and supports them by arguing against the comittee. In the end, they receive their letters and proudly wear their letter jackets around Cutter High School.
Setting: Cutter High School, Spokane, Northern West Coast, United States.
Andy Mott: Andy Mott is an overweight student at Cutter High that doesn't fit in. That's because he's so huge and people automatically consider him a bully just by looking at him. In the beginning of the book, when he arrives at practices he doesn't say a word. As the months pass by, he shows the team his amputated leg that he had to recieve after an infection of gangrene that he received because of child abuse. He begins to open up to the swim team about his abusive past and slowly he trusts them with his secrets.
Dan Hole: Dan Hole is an intelligent student who is forced to hide his academic talents by his substitute coach, affectionately known as Icko. Whenever he uses a vocab word that the coach doesn't understand, he must do some sort of physical punishment. Throughout the book, he does not change that much, but provides a bit of comic relief.
Icko: Substitute coach for the Cutter High Swim Team, Icko is a man who is living at the YMCA at the time of his hiring. His son is in college and he spends all the money from his job at the Local Burger King to pay for tuition. Throughout the book, he finds a group of people that he can depend on and believe in. He develops a tiny bit of confidence and comes out of a small depression from being alone for so long.
T।J.: A mixed race teenage boy adopted as a baby by caucasian parents, T.J. knows that he is different. (His full name is "The Tao"). After he makes the decision to start a swim team at his school, he begins to care for others for the first time. He feels responsible for his team and learns what it means to work hard, and that he can reap the benefits with just a little determination.
Tay-Roy: Tay-Roy starts off his swimming career on the Cutter High team as a self-conscious body-builder looking for a new, less tedious way to be fit. He doesn't really know what he's doing, so he keeps to himself. But throughout the book, he continues to grow in confidence and becomes just an 'average' teenager. One thing that shows his growth is when he begins dating a girl who was previously in an abusive relationship, and tells her that she can never let herself be treated like that again. That he'll take care of her.
Setting: Cutter High School, Spokane, Northern West Coast, United States.
Andy Mott: Andy Mott is an overweight student at Cutter High that doesn't fit in. That's because he's so huge and people automatically consider him a bully just by looking at him. In the beginning of the book, when he arrives at practices he doesn't say a word. As the months pass by, he shows the team his amputated leg that he had to recieve after an infection of gangrene that he received because of child abuse. He begins to open up to the swim team about his abusive past and slowly he trusts them with his secrets.
Dan Hole: Dan Hole is an intelligent student who is forced to hide his academic talents by his substitute coach, affectionately known as Icko. Whenever he uses a vocab word that the coach doesn't understand, he must do some sort of physical punishment. Throughout the book, he does not change that much, but provides a bit of comic relief.
Icko: Substitute coach for the Cutter High Swim Team, Icko is a man who is living at the YMCA at the time of his hiring. His son is in college and he spends all the money from his job at the Local Burger King to pay for tuition. Throughout the book, he finds a group of people that he can depend on and believe in. He develops a tiny bit of confidence and comes out of a small depression from being alone for so long.
T।J.: A mixed race teenage boy adopted as a baby by caucasian parents, T.J. knows that he is different. (His full name is "The Tao"). After he makes the decision to start a swim team at his school, he begins to care for others for the first time. He feels responsible for his team and learns what it means to work hard, and that he can reap the benefits with just a little determination.
Tay-Roy: Tay-Roy starts off his swimming career on the Cutter High team as a self-conscious body-builder looking for a new, less tedious way to be fit. He doesn't really know what he's doing, so he keeps to himself. But throughout the book, he continues to grow in confidence and becomes just an 'average' teenager. One thing that shows his growth is when he begins dating a girl who was previously in an abusive relationship, and tells her that she can never let herself be treated like that again. That he'll take care of her.
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