Hard Work Pays Off

Through the character of Samuel, the novel argues that there is value in working hard. Samuel lacks natural talent, but he earns his spot on the national basketball team and on the North Carolina Eagles’ team because he impresses the coaches with his hours of practicing to improve his game.

Lonnie and Ecko agree that Samuel is not much of a basketball player when he first arrives on the basketball scene in the United States. Samuel was considered the best player in Lotta, but he had never been formally coached. Lonnie is impressed when Samuel jumps to slap a ball away from a player during a showcase game, but tells Ecko that he cannot take a player just because he was able to jump. Lonnie argued Samuel’s faults: “he can’t shoot and he can’t dribble” (69). Still, Ecko convinced Lonnie to...