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.
Themes
The Role of Sports in Shaping Identity
In Running Loose, sports play a central role. Louie is a rising football star, and the town of Trout is deeply invested in its football team. Louie remarks, “This is a real football town” (41), noting that all the shops close on game days. An ex-athlete himself, Chris Crutcher conveys the message that sports are a positive force that can bring people together and shape athletes’ identities. Football gives Louie a sense of purpose, motivating him to train throughout the summer before his senior year and to look forward to a winning season and championship team. Sports also allow him to spend time with the team and his best friend, Carter. In Chapter 11, Coach Madison highlights this by telling Louie, “Football’s a good sport. There really are some good things to learn from it” (76).
Sports are also a means to navigate difficult times. After Louie is banned from participating in interscholastic activities, he acknowledges that Carter “kept [him] feeling okay about [himself] without the help of sports” (86). Being a starting football player in a small town grants social status and is a large part of who Louie is. When he quits football, Louie has to figure out who he is without the football team. He misses attending the games and seeks solace in cross-country skiing. Though skiing is a solo sport, it helps Louie feel better. Later in the novel, Louie takes up track with Coach Madison’s help. Madison’s positive philosophy on sports emphasizes personal growth over competition. He advises Louie to “just run the way you feel […] find the outer limit and push against it as long as [you can]” (136). This approach helps Louie enjoy track, pushing him to train hard and improve. He eventually wins several two-mile races and even beats Washington. Track gives Louie a purpose, a new way to understand himself, and a way to cope with Becky’s loss. Madison’s philosophy is encapsulated in the story of Kip Keino, a Kenyan runner who trained solo and loved the sport. Keino represents the true spirit of sports: passion and enjoyment rather than toxic competitiveness.
Sports, however, are tainted by foul play. Coach Lednecky embodies a win-at-all-costs mentality, in contrast with Madison’s emphasis on personal growth. Lednecky’s belief that Washington must be sidelined because he is Black disturbs Louie, who reflects, “The whole thing [is] ruining my idea of what sports [are] supposed to be about” (52). By standing up against this racist and unethical approach, Louie demonstrates his belief in sports as a means to positively shape personal and social identities. He respects Washington as a player and person and refuses to play dirty to win. By congratulating Louie for his victory in Chapter 19, Washington also demonstrates a positive attitude toward sports: He believes in sportsmanship, accepts defeat gracefully, and builds a good relationship with his opponent.
Confronting and Challenging Racism
One of the overarching themes of the novel is confronting racism. Louie’s decision to stand up against the racism directed at Washington marks a pivotal moment in his life because he is determined to do what is right and faces unjust consequences. The town of Trout, a small, homogenous, all-white community, is a breeding ground for racism. With no Black players on their team and Washington being the only Black player on the Salmon River team, this lack of diversity fosters prejudice and racism. Carter acknowledges this ignorance in Chapter 8, stating, “You ask around and you’d think there was no prejudice against blacks in this town. You know why that is? It’s because there aren’t any blacks” (81).
When Washington is introduced in the narrative, the issue of racism becomes prominent. Coach Lednecky claims he doesn’t want to sound prejudiced but immediately contradicts himself by using derogatory terms to refer to Washington and coming up with a strategy to injure him during the game. This reveals his deep-seated hypocrisy. His behavior fuels racism among the players, particularly Boomer, who openly uses racist language, talking about “sending all them grrs back to Africa on a leaky boat” (40). Boomer expresses his disdain for Black people, citing an incident where a group of Black people attacked his father at a service station. Boomer’s story shows how many people generalize about an entire group of people based on the actions of a few. Louie is uncomfortable with Lednecky’s and Boomer’s behavior from the start. He challenges their racism, pointing out the unfairness of targeting Washington simply because he is Black: “I’m just saying it seems like a raw deal to give a guy just because he’s black” (50). When Washington is injured during the game, Louie is the only one willing to stand up against the injustice. Concerned for Washington, Louie later asks his friend Sally whether Washington faces discrimination in Salmon River and is relieved when she assures him he does not.
The motif of ethics and morality is intertwined with the theme of confronting racism. Despite the personal consequences, Louie’s decision to challenge Boomer’s targeting of Washington highlights his strong moral compass. Upset by the injustice, he leaves the football team and refuses to make a public apology, instead demanding that Lednecky apologize to the team “for teaching [them] dirty football” (69). Louie’s parents and Dakota support Louie’s actions and praise him for standing up for what is right. This reinforces the importance of ethics and morality over personal gain. By confronting racism, Louie demonstrates bravery and a commitment to justice.
Coping with Grief and Loss
In Running Loose, Louie deals with the sudden loss of his girlfriend, Becky. This challenge propels his coming-of-age journey. Dakota captures this transformation when he tells Louie, “If you come through this, you’ll be a man” (114). Dakota suggests that navigating grief and pain leads to personal growth and maturity. Becky, having endured significant hardships, has already experienced a coming-of-age: She reveals her troubled relationship with her mother and how therapy helped her cope and mature. After the incident with Washington, she encourages Louie to let go and reassures him about intimacy.
Louie works through his grief with the support of those around him. After Becky’s death, he leans on his network of family and friends. His parents provide comfort in different ways: Brenda offers emotional support while Norm takes practical steps, arranging for Louie to spend time out of town to give him a change of scenery. Louie appreciates his father’s efforts: “Boy, that Norm is always there” (120). Dakota, his boss, becomes a mentor, teaching Louie through the symbolism of a checkerboard that life’s challenges give it meaning. Louie’s best friend, Carter, stands by him during this difficult time and encourages him in track. Louie acknowledges his support by stating, “He’s one of the most constant things in my life” (134). Sports play a therapeutic role, too. Coach Madison encourages Louie to take up track, sharing how sports helped him cope with loss when he was young.
Grief is shown to soften over time. Initially, Louie reacts to Becky’s death with intense anger and despair, chopping down a tree and erupting in anger at her funeral. He blames God for Becky’s death and is frustrated that people only remember Becky for her achievements rather than for who she truly was. However, he later observes: “It’s amazing to me how fast time smooths things over. By Saturday evening […] I still missed Becky like crazy […] but the really vicious, almost unbearable edge was gone” (121). Time helps Louie move through his grief until he reaches a point of acceptance. In Chapter 17, Louie runs to the bridge where Becky died, wanting to talk to her, but eventually accepts that she’s gone and jogs back home. Even though Louie moves forward, Becky remains a part of him: As he throws away her plaque, he imagines hearing her laughter.
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