Summary
In January, a cold front hit Seattle and the weather worsened for the crew team. One thing that kept everyone warm, however, was Coach Ulbrickson making it clear that they were aiming for the Olympics. The all-sophomore boat that Joe was in felt as if Ulbrickson was talking directly to him. The approach to training changed with the change in ultimate goal, and instead of beginning the year leisurely with a focus on technique, they were told that they would be rowing all-out every day and racing against each other for the chance to go to the Olympics. Minor rivalries in the boat house turned into major affairs. Things were worsened when the Seattle Times wrote an article about the all-sophomore boat with kind quotes from Ulbrickson, which confirmed the entire boat house's prior belief that Ulbrickson was favoring them. Despite this positive news for Joe, he and a few others were struggling in the boat, and Ulbrickson called them into his office to remind them that none of their seats were secured. They would have to continue to focus and give their all if they wanted to be on the team competing for the trip to the Olympics.
The all sophomore boat was erratic, sometimes beating the other crews easily and other times rowing well off their mark. Ulbrickson grew frustrated with them and moved their boat down in the rankings when they practiced poorly. Joe was even removed from the boat at one point, but just as it had happened during their freshmen year, the boat slowed considerably without Joe rowing. They all continued to row hard and race against one another throughout the winter and spring. In April, the weather finally broke and it was comfortable to be outside. Joe took Joyce out on the pond in a row boat and had a lovely day in the sun. Ebullient from their day in the rowboat, Joe drove to the bread factory where he knew his father worked and waited for him to be done with his shift. They spoke comfortably with one another and Joe inquired about his brothers and sisters. When he asked if he could come and see them, Harry said no but told him there were times when they were home alone, hinting that it would be possible for Joe to come and visit them then.
The turbulent performance of the sophomores continued up until the Pacific Coast Regatta. Ulbrickson could not decide who he would race as the Varsity boat, especially after the JV boys beat the sophomores in Oakland during a practice trial. Much to the JV boat's disappointment, Ulbrickson chose the sophomores despite their training loss. When it was finally time for the regatta, Washington swept every race. The freshmen and JV won with ease, and the Varsity team won in one of the most electric races that the regatta had ever seen. Ulbrickson wrote "Quite a day" in his logbook afterwards. The suspense and tension of the race was heightened by the fact that there was confusion about which crew finished first because of the placement of the finish line, but Washington won by six feet in the end.
Washington's wins brought Seattle a great deal of pride, which was a new thing for a town that was not known for its athletic accomplishments. The entire city was proud of their crew, and both of the local papers were writing about the Washington team with regularity. This was happening at a time when the city was doing better, and more classified ads for jobs were posted each day. While there were more jobs at the moment, there were also more people moving to the area. The Dust Bowl had greatly threatened the livelihood of the entire Midwest, and conditions were worsening. The trickle of migrants became a deluge. Just as the environmental conditions were getting worse in the Midwest, the geopolitical situation in Europe was also deteriorating. More and more ominous headlines were coming from Germany, but most Americans managed to ignore them.
When it came time for the Poughkeepsie Regatta, the sophomore boys had been demoted to JV. They raced again head to head with the older crew, and they were beaten easily in the Hudson. While Ulbrickson went back and forth, this time he had no choice but to name the older boys the Varsity team. Many disagreed with the decision and noted that by the second mile, the sophomore boys always hit their stride and were able to match the older boat easily. It was the start that always put them behind. Ultimately, Ulbrickson chose the older group to row as the first varsity boat. In the race, the freshman team from Washington won easily, and Bolles believed he had a better team than the previous years. The sophomores, rowing as the JV team, also won easily and looked like they could have kept rowing comfortably. When Washington was on the verge of sweeping all three Poughkeepsie races, the varsity team went out to an early lead, but they ultimately couldn't maintain it. California took first, followed by Cornell, and then Washington. Ulbrickson was deeply disappointed, and rumors began that Bolles would take over for Ulbrickson as head coach in the near future.
In the summer following his sophomore year, Joe went to the Grand Coulee Dam to find work. While regular workers were paid $.50 an hour, those who were willing to wield a jackhammer over the edge of a cliff would earn as much as $.75 an hour. Joe passed his physical easily and proceeded to spend the rest of his summer suspended over a cliff, shirtless, wrangling a jackhammer for eight hours a day. His job included privileges to the mess hall, where they were fed with stupendous amounts of food, and Joe never left a crumb on his plate. Joining him at the dam, unbeknownst to him at first, were two teammates from Washington. Johnny White, the two seat of Bolles' promising freshmen crew, and Chuck Day. Johnny needed the money badly and was as poor as Joe, and Chuck was better situated financially but loved a challenge so found himself at the dam. The three became fast friends and passed the summer together easily.
In Germany, the discrimination against Jews was escalating, and the Blood Law made the situation more dire for Germany's Jewish population. A movement to boycott the 1936 Olympics was strong in America, but it ultimately failed after an American committee went to witness the conditions for Jewish people in Germany. The measure to compete in the Olympics narrowly passed a vote and was a major win for Hitler, who was finding how easily he could dupe the global community with his charisma. The stadiums and other Olympic facilities were coming together and nearing completion. Meanwhile, the Washington boys continued to train hard and Ulbrickson made it clear that he would move boys around as he needed in order to find the perfect combination. Unfortunately for Joe, he was not in one of the two top competing boats. Rather, he found himself in the boat that often came in last during practice. Pocock, however, had taken an interest in him and was trying to learn more about his family and what motivated Joe. Joe loved these times with Pocock, but his head wasn't in the boat for most of the fall training period: Thula had died from a bowel obstruction and one of his Sequim mentors had also died.
Analysis
After the boys sweep California in the Pacific Coast Regatta, they return to a parade and a special banquet where Seattle's most prominent citizens have purchased tickets to spend time with the crew and see them in the flesh. The juxtaposition of where Joe has come from and where he is now is stark. The contrast is highlighted in the following passage: "When it was Joe's turn, he stood for a moment looking out over the scene before him. White light poured into the room from tall windows flanked by heavy velvet curtains. Enormous crystal chandeliers hung shimmering from high, ornately plastered ceilings. The beaming faces of large-bellied men in three-piece suits and matronly-looking women bedecked with jewelry gazed up at him. They sat at tables spread with crisp white linen tablecloths and gleaming silverware and crystal stemware and platters heaped with hot food. Waiters in white coats and black bow ties scurried among the tables, carrying trays with still more food" (170). This passage highlights a few things that are directly different from Joe's lived experience, like food and clothing. He barely has enough money to eat despite all of the exercise required of him, and he is repeatedly made fun of for owning so few clothes. Despite all this, he is being celebrated by people who have not had to think about their next meal or a hole in a piece of clothing.
The luxury of the banquet is further contrasted by preceding descriptions of the poverty in Hoovervilles across Seattle and the country. At a time when people are losing their entire livelihoods to the repercussions of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, there are still segments of society that are able to revel in wealth. It's a contrast between Joe and the prominent Seattle citizens, but it is also a contrast between two very different types of experiences in America.
Brown takes time in this section to discuss the contradictory nature of successful crew teams. His argument is threefold. First, the boat is filled with strong and large men and women, but it is commanded by the smallest and weakest member of the crew: the coxswain. The coxswain is inherently contradictory as well, as they need to be able to look at the much larger and more powerful members of the team with clear conviction and bark orders convincingly enough that each member does what they say without question. Second, speed is both the objective and the enemy. While the boat wants to go fast, increasing the rate at which each motion is done increases the liability that there will be a mistake. Finally, the crew must be made up of confident and self-assured young people who can persevere through the worst of circumstances, but their confidence can not be one that necessitates constant praise or admiration. There are no stars in crew; it is a team effort.
"The wood, Pocock murmured, taught us about survival, about overcoming difficulty, about prevailing over adversity, but it also taught us something about the underlying reason for surviving in the first place. Something about infinite beauty, about undying grace, about things larger and greater than ourselves. About the reasons we're all here" (214). The themes of teamwork and togetherness, and becoming more than the sum of individual parts, ring out throughout the entire book.
