Heroism In Larry Colton's Counting Co-Up

From the beginnings of the oral tradition all the way to the modern written word, many heroes have emerged in the collective conscious. As a result, many archetypes are deeply ingrained within the zeitgeist. Whether this hero is an embodiment of the classical mores or something more modern depends on the values of people at the time of writing. Whereas one hero may seem infallible and gallant, the other can appear to be flawed and rebellious, as is the case of Sharon Laforge, the protagonist of Larry Colton’s novel, Counting Coup. In the book, the author follows around a ragtag high school basketball team whose bond transcends race and class as they set out to complete what is to be Laforge’s swan song. As the season goes on, the reader continues to learn about Sharon and how she manages the trials and tribulations she faces both on and off the court. As a consequence, one comes to see Sharon as an anti-hero of sorts who is modern as a result of the …show more content…
The fact that she does manage to go to college, despite being a mother of two, shows her underlying resolve and heroism. At the end, when Sharon is almost finished with her degree, Colton says, “These kids, I think, are lucky in their mom, the soon-to-be college graduate. She is a mom to be proud of, a warrior, one who has counted many coups” (Colton 412). With this statement, the tone shifts back to one of optimism. The pendulum-like nature of Colton’s literary tone helps the reader to comprehend the mercurialness of Sharon’s life. Her warrior side, which prevails despite her less admirable characteristics, shows the reader that the hero in Sharon overcame. The fact that this coup was counted in the classroom, not the battlefield, shows the modernity of the struggles faced by Sharon. Thus, one can see that Sharon Laforge is many things, including hardworking, determined, and above all, a modern