Character Analysis: Gym Candy

Character Essay - Gym Candy
¨I lay on my bed, confused and angry. That stuff my dad had said about an ankle injury - it was a lie¨. - pg. 28, Gym candy By. Carl Deuker.

Mick has been playing football since he was four. That's why, in Carl Deuker´s, ¨Gym Candy¨, the protagonist, Mick, wants to win in Football. For example, he is always practicing, he pushes everyone out of the way to get to the top, and He takes things too GREAT lengths to win. Mick wants to win in football. And he shows it too. Especially with practicing!

One reason Mick wants to win in life is that he is always practicing to get on top and win. For example, on pg. 7, it says ¨In the off-season, my dad would sign me up for every football camp he could find.¨,

This shows he is practicing even in offseason! Also, on pg. 39, it says, ¨That practice, I pushed myself to outplay everyone, especially Drew Carney¨. This shows that he is willing to outplay everyone on the field. Yet again, on pg. 61, it says, ¨I ended up practicing hard every single day, just like my dad wanted…..¨. This shows he tries to practice hard & every day to get on top and win. Practicing is one thing Mick shows, but he also shows a disregarding and selfish side of him.

Another reason Mick wants to win in life is that he is pushing others away to get on top.

For example, on pg. 59, it says, ¨All through the second week I outplayed Drager: I outhustled him, I outhit him. All through the second week, Drager smirked at me. It drove me crazy, that smirk. He couldn´t be right, he just couldn´t.¨ This shows him not letting himself believe that Drager was better than him. Also, on pg. 62, it says, ¨I couldn´t hide the smile taking over my face ¨Downs made me captain¨¨. This shows his utter pride as he is now on top. Yet again, on pg. 85, it says ¨¨Do you think so?¨ I said, looking first at DeShwan and then at Drew. ¨You think they were on steroids?¨¨ This shows him accusing the other team (That won) of cheating by using steroids. Mick shows again and again that he is practicing and repelling others, but he does things that may be unacceptable by his

society.

My third and final reason Mick wants to win in life is that he takes things too GREAT lengths to win.

For example, on pg. 115, it says, ¨I had to drink a protein shake and take two pills at school during lunch¨. This shows him trying to get fit, even though he already is. Also, on pg. 159, it says ¨When he came back, he sat down next to me, opened a plastic vail, and shook out four white tablets that were about the three times as thick as aspirin…¨This shows him taking pills to get stronger. Yet again, on pg. 169, the author said, ¨......A couple of minutes later, he came back with a small brown bag. Inside was a vial of pills, ¨I told you I'd never leave you hanging, didn´t I? You stop taking the D-bol and you take tease instead. They'll clean you out.¨¨. This shows that Mick would (and does) take even MORE pills to get and stay strong! Someone else might have some other claims about

Mick…
I think Mick wants to win in football. Someone else might think that Mick just wants to impress his dad. I disagree with this because he said on pg. 29 ¨He went away, and I thought what a hypocrite he was, telling me that I had to play. What had he done? Drunk, and missed meetings, and got into trouble with strippers in Mexico. He was married to my mom then, too. She had told me that they got married while they were in college.¨ This shows that he is madly ashamed of his dad and what he had done. And he NEVER shows wanting to impress his dad once, if he wanted to impress him, or even try to impress him, he probably would have told him the obstacles he had to face to get on top. For example, on pg. 128, the author said ¨ Then Drager drove his fists into my stomach. The punches came fast and hard, like pistons…...¨ and after that, you´d expect him to tell his dad or at least his mom, but NO! He just lies and says it's the stomach flu. So I don't think he just wants to impress dad, I think he just wants to win.

I think Mick wants to win in football because he is always practicing, he pushes everyone out of the way to win, and he takes things too great lengths to win. When (and if) you ever read this, look at it through a different lens. Think about what he feels but he does not state. Or think that about any book at all!