Cutter All Night Mermen Character Analysis

Alternatively, the Cutter All Night Mermen are each unique, and don’t fit the typical athlete mold. T.J. is the only member of the team that has any swimming background. When he was thirteen he “qualified for the Junior Olympics in two swimming events” (7). Despite this, even T.J. isn’t become just another “jock”; he constantly bucks the system at school instead of simply going along with it. Coach Simet puts T.J. in charge of recruiting the rest of the team. His first recruit is Chris Coughlin. After T.J. distributes flyers, interested parties start to trickle in, and each new teammate is just as, if not more, quirky than the last. Daniel Hole is described as “Dan ‘Never-Use-a-Single-Syllable-When-Polysyllables-Are-Available’ Hole” (31). Tay-Roy Kibble competes in steroid-free bodybuilding competitions. Simone DeLong “weighs three hundred pounds” (64). Jackie Craig “shows up, watches, imitates, all the time remaining invisible” …show more content…
Only one athlete in opposition to the All Nigh Mermen, Mike Barbour, is fleshed out leaving other named and unnamed athletes as cardboard cutouts. For example, T.J. refers casually pushes off the epithet of “the dummy” (36) that Mike Barbour initially uses to refer to Chris Coughlin, onto “Greg Steelman, the lineman” (36). This instance becomes the only time Greg is mentioned in the book. On the other hand, each member of the Cutter All Night Mermen has his background explored and becomes a detailed character. Crutcher takes this dynamic team and contrasts it with the one-dimensional nature of other athletic programs within Cutter High School. There is no one right way to be an athlete and participate in sports. Instead of exclusionary teams focused on those who fit the bill of a “jock,” Crutcher develops an inclusionary team where any individual is welcome to participate, offering an example of a positive sports