Literature Group
Question:
penskies
Student
High School - 10th Grade
Answers:
-
hero5 Teacher
Middle SchooleNotes Editor
Posted by hero5 on Sunday August 9, 2009 at 9:07 PMCasey was a great baseball player. We know this because, "[The crowd] thought, 'If only Casey could but get a whack at that--We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.'"
However, Casey was proud as evidenced when Casey swaggers up to the plate, "There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face." He is not concerned or feeling the stress of there already being two outs in the game and he is the last chance. Then, to make matters worse, we find he is very cocky as the first pitch comes to him.
"And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said."
Casey did not even try to hit the ball. He repeats the mistake with the next pitch and again, it's a strike. On the last pitch we see him start to sweat but he clearly thinks he has this one made also:
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate
Ironically though, Casey strikes out and they lose the game. It seems pride and popularity are not enough when it goes too far and the player becomes cocky.
