Chapter 11 & 12 Summary and Analysis

This chapter begins with information about a second tier rower named Brad Lewis. He is from California and is treated a certain way because of this. This man does come from a financially well off family, but his home life has been rather difficult, with his mother ill much of the time. Brad Lewis has a reputation for being hard to be friends with; he is insensitive about hurting the feelings of others but hypersensitive about being hurt by others. Brad commits a rowing faux pas in 1983 by bragging to others that he will win a given race. Then he does not, adding to his mistake. It is viewed as bad form for rowers to brag or to claim that they will win a race when the outcome will only be proven by the race itself. Only after he has lost...