Discussion Topic
The climax of Hoops by Walter Dean Myers
Summary:
The climax of Hoops by Walter Dean Myers occurs during the championship basketball game when Lonnie must decide whether to follow his coach Cal's advice or to play by his own instincts. This moment of decision is crucial as it tests Lonnie's trust in Cal and his own growth as a player and individual.
What is the climax of Hoops by Walter Dean Myers?
A story’s climax is the point at which the conflict tension is at its highest point. As a book that has heavy amounts of sports and sporting competition in it, the climax isn’t anything that is likely unexpected to readers. Lonnie’s team wins the game. Readers that are sports fans are likely to think that winning a high tension and high stakes game is climax enough; however, Myers ratchets up the tension surrounding the game a great deal by having mob gambling money riding on the outcome of the game. In this case, Cal is supposed to bench Lonnie to help make sure that the team loses. Cal initially does this, but he eventually puts Lonnie in the game, and Lonnie helps lead the team to victory. This winning moment is the climax of the book, and it leads into the falling action of Cal being stabbed to death as...
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a punishment for his actions.
What is the climax of Hoops?
There's a lot at stake in the big game. So we might reasonably expect that the climax of the story—that point of greatest tension—would be somehow related to that game. And we wouldn't be wrong. But there's more than just pride and honor at stake here; there's a lot of money too. To be specific, the mob has been taking bets on the game, and in order to make a killing, they have to ensure that Lonnie's team loses.
To get their desired outcome they order Lonnie's coach Cal to pull his star player from the game. Initially, Cal complies; he's really in no position to say no to these violent gangsters. And as expected, his team appears to be heading for defeat. But then, Cal has a sudden change of heart and decides to put Lonnie in the game. Inevitably, this changes the whole dynamic of the contest. Now that Lonnie's on court there's no danger that his team will lose; and so it proves. The team wins, and Lonnie is the hero. We've reached the climax of the story.
Unfortunately, in the falling action, Cal is stabbed to death by the mob for ignoring their instructions. He undoubtedly did the right thing in putting Lonnie in the game, but it's cost him his life.