Genre
Narrative nonfiction
Setting and Context
The action takes place in America and Berlin in the 1930s.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is presented from a third-person omniscient point of view.
Tone and Mood
Hopeful, cheerful, positive
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the Washington rowing team and the antagonists are the other teams Washington competes against.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is between the various rowing teams.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when the American rowing team wins the race at the Olympic Games.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The author alludes to the fact that America tried for a long period of time to ignore the events that were happening in Germany and that their actions made things even worst. Germany did not tried to hide their actions and when Hitler decided to annex new territories, the international community was well aware of the facts. In a sense, this only made things worse as it gave Hitler the impression that he was free to do whatever he liked without having to suffer repercussions.
Imagery
In July 1936, Ulbrickson’s team went to Princeton for the Olympic Game trials. There, the students could see the difference between their campus and the Princeton campus. The Princeton one was more luxurious and had better conditions than the one in Seattle. The difference between the two campuses portrays the difference between social classes in America and how having money can make a difference.
Paradox
The way Joe’s life turned out after he joined the rowing team is quite paradoxical. Being on a rowing team meant gaining some fame because of it and was even mentioned in newspapers. His financial situation, however, actually got worse, and he had to struggle to survive.
Parallelism
In the prologue, Joe’s daughter tells the author that her father lost the medal he won and that a squirrel took it and hid it in the attic. A parallel is drawn between the medal and Joe because just as the medal remained hidden for a long period of time, seemingly lost, Joe’s story also remained a mystery for a long period of time.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
When the coach talks about the rowing boat, he refers to the whole team in general and their performance as a whole.
Personification
N/A
