50 pages • 1 hour read
Chris CrutcherRunning Loose
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1983A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 5 Summary
It’s Monday, the day before the next game against Salmon River, and Louie feels on top of the world. The evening with Becky was a dream: They enjoyed a dinner followed by the school dance. Dancing with Louie to slow songs, Becky rested her head on his shoulder, and they kissed in the car before Louie dropped her off at home. However, as present-day Louie reflects, “things start falling apart” (46) that Monday. In a rare move, Coach Lednecky gathers the team on the bleachers in the gym. He commends their performance in the previous game and expresses confidence in their chances against Salmon River the next day. However, he warns them about a transfer from California, a Black quarterback named Washington, whom he refers to by the n-word. Coach Lednecky instructs the team that the only way to stop him and other Black players is by playing aggressively, even hurting them. To Louie’s shock, the entire team agrees with this directive. Looking to Carter, Louie finds him shrugging.
Later, Louie asks Carter what he thinks about Coach Lednecky’s remarks. Carter brushes it off, suggesting that Lednecky didn’t mean anything harmful by it. Meanwhile, Boomer seems to thrive on the situation: His jokes about sending Black people back to Africa irritate Louie. Louie asks him if he has issues with Black people, and Boomer says he does because they attacked his dad in a service station. Louie insists it’s unfair to discriminate against Washington because he’s Black. Boomer then teases Louie by lying about having slept with Becky. When Louie reacts, Boomer punches him. Carter steps in to defend Louie, and Boomer eventually retreats. When he gets home for dinner, Louie finds it impossible to shake off the unsettling incident. After the fight with Boomer, Coach Lednecky came into the locker room to remind the boys that what he said was not to leave the room. Upset, Louie notes that “the whole thing [is] ruining [his] idea of what sports [are] supposed to be about” (52). He confides in his father, Norm, and contemplates quitting. Norm reassures him that the whole situation will blow over.
Finally, Friday arrives, and the entire town shows up for the game. Football is a big deal in Trout, so much so that all the shops close for the occasion. As the Salmon River bus pulls in, Louie notices Washington, sporting number 18. He looks like a real athlete.
Chapter 6 Summary
Before the game begins, Lednecky rallies the team, telling them that the only thing standing between them and a state championship game at the end of the season is Washington. He urges them to play aggressively against him: “Play him tough. Key on him. Bottle him up on every play” (57). Once the game starts, Louie realizes just how strong Washington is. On the kickoff, Washington evades Louie’s attempts to contain him and scores a touchdown. By halftime, Salmon River holds a one-point lead. Coach Lednecky encourages the boys, assuring the team they’re performing well and still have a shot at victory. Boomer ominously says that Washington won’t make it through the third quarter. This remark startles Louie, but he reassures himself that Boomer won’t have a chance to confront Washington, because he’s too fast.
In the second half, Boomer aggressively headbutts Washington in the chest and slams him into a bench. Present-day Louie recalls, “That was the last play of my football career” (61). Overwhelmed with disbelief and anger, Louie confronts the referees, accusing Boomer of deliberately harming Washington. However, the referees deny seeing anything. Coach Lednecky steps in, dismissing the incident as an unfortunate accident, but Louie insists that it was a setup. He tells Lednecky that he won’t play another game with Trout football. Carter, urging him to calm down, assures him they’ll work it out later. Louie heads to the locker room and sees Washington leave the field on a stretcher. After Louie showers, Becky approaches him, offering support, but Louie says he would rather be alone and drives off.
Chapter 7 Summary
Present-day Louie reveals that Trout ultimately won the game, scoring a couple of points after Washington was carried away. Louie heads to the Buckhorn restaurant, finding it closed for the game, but he has a key. He plays some music from the jukebox and has a solitary game of pool. He ponders whether he has made a fool of himself and what reactions he will face from his parents and Dakota. He concludes, “Lednecky [is] a turdhead, and nothing could make me go back or say I was sorry” (66). He also contemplates how his friend Carter will justify remaining on the team and what thoughts may be running through Coach Madison’s mind.
Louie gets home late for dinner. His sister Tracy’s offer to do the dishes is generosity he interprets as a silent acknowledgment of the day’s events. As he sits down to dinner, Louie explains to his parents that it was all a setup and that the referee deliberately failed to make a call. He then emphasizes his intention to expose Coach Lednecky’s actions at school on Monday. Louie’s father, Norm, reassures him: “You know your mom and I are behind you, even when we don’t agree with you. In this particular case, I do, if that means anything” (68). After dinner, Louie arranges to meet Becky, who suggests bowling at Clear Lake. Before he leaves, Carter calls, asking if he’s going to the dance that evening. Louie declines. Carter’s lack of concern about the incident leaves Louie unsettled. Bowling with Becky takes his mind off things. On the way home, Becky shares her experience with a psychologist back East, recounting how it helped her navigate conflicts with her mother and learn to let things go. She tells Louie he needs to do the same: He did what he thought was right and now needs to let it go. Becky also offers to quit cheerleading to stand by him, but Louie reassures her that it’s unnecessary.
After he drops Becky off, Louie sits in his car, deep in thought. Suddenly, Nancy Williams, a cheerleader who frequently hangs out with Boomer, approaches him, offers him a beer, and joins him in the car. After some time, Louie decides it’s time to head home. Just then, Boomer arrives. He seems drunk and confronts Louie for being with his girl and for the day’s events. Boomer suddenly punches Louie through the open window. Reacting quickly, Louie drives off, with Boomer clinging onto the car. Eventually, Louie manages to shake Boomer loose, sending him into a ditch.
Chapter 8 Summary
On Saturday morning, Louie goes to work at the Buckhorn before lending a hand at his dad’s gas station. While there, Carter pulls up and asks Louie if he will rejoin the team. Louie says he couldn’t, even if quitting means that a lot of work is going to waste, but Carter insists. Louie addresses Carter’s lack of concern about the recent events. He asks Carter how he can continue playing for Coach Lednecky, but Carter answers that he plays only for himself and for the team. He needs a scholarship, so he can’t afford to quit the team. Carter then reflects on the town’s lack of diversity: “I don’t think you could generate a lot of sympathy for Washington” (81), he says. He urges Louie to reconsider rejoining the team. Louie confides in Carter about the altercation with Boomer the previous night, and Carter vows to intervene if Boomer causes trouble again. After Carter leaves, Louie contemplates the possibility of returning to the team.
On Monday, Louie has lunch with Carter and Becky. Carter tells him he spoke to Lednecky about the possibility of Louie rejoining the team. Still, Louie remains uncertain. He decides to talk to Lednecky. When he gets to his office, he finds the principal, Mr. Jasper, also present. Mr. Jasper asks Louie for his version of the events and reprimands him for his actions. Lednecky offers to reinstate Louie on the condition of a public apology in the school paper. Louie declines and accuses Lednecky of dishonesty, urging Mr. Jasper to demand a public apology from Lednecky instead. In response, Mr. Jasper suspends Louie indefinitely.
Chapters 5-8 Analysis
Chapter 5 marks a significant turning point in the story. Everything seemed to be running smoothly until the upcoming game against Salmon River and the introduction of the character Washington, a Black player Coach Lednecky wants to target with dirty play. With Washington’s arrival, the theme of Confronting and Challenging Racism comes to the forefront. Lednecky and Boomer openly use racial slurs against Washington, and Boomer makes racist jokes at his expense. From the outset, Louie feels uncomfortable with Lednecky’s and Boomer’s behavior and derogatory remarks about Washington, and he questions the fairness of targeting someone solely because of their race. “I’m just saying it seems like a raw deal to give a guy just because he’s black” (50), he says. When Boomer physically attacks and injures Washington during the game, Louie is the only one willing to take a stand. Carter acknowledges the prevalence of racism in their predominantly white community, noting, “I don’t think you could generate a lot of sympathy for Washington” (81).
Along with confronting and challenging racism, the motif of ethics and morality also takes center stage. Louie cannot shake the injustice of Washington’s mistreatment and is willing to make a personal sacrifice: He forfeits all his efforts and leaves the team. Supported by his family, who shares his convictions, Louie’s strong moral compass guides his actions. Louie firmly believes in The Role of Sports in Shaping Identity, advocating for a positive and clean approach to the game. He is upset by the unethical behavior of others who choose to play dirty. Coach Lednecky, the referees, and Boomer perpetuate the injustice by orchestrating a setup to sideline Washington. Carter’s apparent indifference to the incident troubles Louie deeply. “The whole incident didn’t seem to bother him that much, and that bugged me. I wanted the whole world to be outraged, but especially Carter” (69), he reflects. At the beginning of Chapter 8, Louie faces a moral dilemma: stick to his principles or prioritize self-interest, like Carter, and rejoin the team. Ultimately, he remains true to his moral compass and faces unjust repercussions when suspended from school.
Becky is a stabilizing and mature influence in Louie’s life. After the incident, she provides support and understanding, even offering to quit cheerleading to stand by him. She shares her own experience of seeking help from a psychologist to cope with confrontations with her mother and invites Louie to learn to let go. Louie remarks that “she sure did seem grown-up” (60). She is a calming presence, similar to Louie’s parents, who also exude calm, affection, and maturity. Norm and Brenda unwaveringly support and reassure Louie. Their actions starkly contrast with Boomer’s and Lednecky’s aggressive and immature behavior. Boomer’s violence escalates; he physically assaults Louie twice, and Lednecky resorts to dishonesty, engaging in dirty tactics to win the game against Salmon River and deceit, eventually having Louie suspended.
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