Going Beyond Pain in Chris Crutcher's Stotan

Going Beyond Pain in Chris Crutcher's Stotan

High school buddies and members of the swim team Walker, Nortie, Lion and Jeff accept the challenge to participate in Stotan week, a week of rigorous swim training that pushes them beyond physical pain and tests their moral fiber, changing their lives forever. In the novel Stotan by Chris Crutcher a team of teenagers and best friends brace themselves for what’s going to be the hardest week of their lives mentally, physically, and emotionally. A “Stotan” is a cross between a stoic and a Spartan. Through this time of hardship they learn about friendships, relationships, dealing with cancer, racism, and physical abuse. Each of the four best friends learn more and more about each other and help each other when they need help. They come together as a group, team, and family. Each of them have a tremendous conflict that can not be resolved with just one persons help. They all help each other repair the emotional scars if one of them were suffering. They all have one thing in common which was that they all want to be the best they can be and being so determined. In Stotan By Chris Crutcher four boys Walker, Jeff, Nortie, and Lion experience a time of emotional and physical turmoil with the only way to overcome these barriers is to come together as a team with determination in mind.

One of the team mates with a conflict that needed to be resolved is Lion. Lion lives alone in a tiny apartment with a hot plate. He gets lonely sometimes and the only things that stop him from getting depressed are swimming and being with his best friends Walker, Jeff, and Nortie. They never talk about Lion’s life but he knows that they life him for who he is not becau...

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...cause of this amazing unity of the team Nortie is still alive.

In Stotan By Chris Crutcher four boys Walker, Jeff, Nortie, and Lion experience a time of emotional and physical turmoil with the only way to overcome these barriers is to come together as a team with determination in mind. Lion was suffering from depression, Jeff was dying, Nortie was suffering mentally, and walker was suffering emotionally but as a team they all came together and resolved eatch others problems. The unity the team had was unbelievable and helped save a life and helped solve problems. Determination also helped the high school seniors by not letting them slip or fall climbing the mountain of success. The four team members got through a week of grueling pain mentally and physically by coming together as a team with determination in mind to push themselves to maximum.