Background Infomation

Summary: The novel Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher, is a book about a seventeen year old boy named Louie Banks who learns how to deal with death, child abuse, and racism. Louie is a senior at Trout High School and plays on their football team. Trout is such a small town that they only play eight man football. For two years in a row now Trout has been the state champions in eight man football. Louie really wants to be a started this year, so during the summer he and Carter, his best friend, have been doing two-a-days. Carter is a great football player and will probably get a scholarship to go play football somewhere. When the season started Louie got to be a starter. Trout also has been winning all of their games, just as expected. When it came time to play Salmon River, the team that was in second place, Coach Lednecky, the coach of the Trout’s football team, had a different plan for this game. He knew it would be hard to beat the guys. Also, Salmon River had a new addition to the team. It was an African American boy named Washington. He was their secret weapon. Coach Lednecky knew that the only way to get a guaranteed win is to hit Washington hard enough that he will be hurt and be out of the game. Coach Lednecky’s plan worked. Boomer, a boy with a bad attitude, ran full speed at Washington and hit him pretty hard. Washington was taken to the hospital to see if anything was broken, lucky nothing was. Louie got very upset that the refs didn’t call a flag on that play. Louie also knew that Lednecky was happy about what happened. So Louie just walked right off the field and decided never to play football again. Carter, Louie’s girlfriend Becky, and his parents all supported him in his decision of quitting the football team. Trout, however, did end up winning another state championship. During the winter Louie got into cross-country skiing. He and Becky even skied up to her parents’ cabin to spend the night up there. Louie had been nervous about the trip because he felt the pressure to have sex with Becky. Once they got up there Louie told Becky about how he felt, and Becky totally respected his decision. They learned a lot about each other that night. A short while after that, Louie received some bad news about Becky. Apparently, Becky had been driving over a bridge and a motorcycle had been driving out of control, so she swerved her car to avoid hitting them. Accidently, Becky drove her car off the side of the bridge and into the river. She died almost instantly. Louie couldn’t believe the news. He was devastated. When it came time for the funeral Louie didn’t go. He said it would be too hard for him to see her in her coffin. It took a couple months for Louie to get back to his normal self. Meanwhile, Coach Madison, the assistant football coach and the coach for the track team, asked Louie if he would like to join track. Louie said sure, maybe it would help him get his mind off of Becky’s death. Louie had never run track before, so Coach Madison gave him track shoes, and told him a little bit about the sport. Louie had decided to compete the mile and two mile run. He did excellent at both. Louie made it to regionals, in the two mile. He placed fourth, and only the top three places go to state. Overall, Louie was very proud of his accomplishments he made in track and becoming a more mature teenager. In one year Louie has learned more about life than he ever has in the past. Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher, is a great book dealing with issues that teenagers’ might have to face in their life.

Setting: Running Loose takes place in Trout, Idaho. Trout is a very small town with less than 125 people in it. Also, it takes place in the present.

Character Description and Development:
Louie Banks – Louie is the main character in this story. He played football for Trout high school football, and he run track for Trout, too. Louie is a senior in high school and life hasn’t been treating him so good, but with the help of his close friends and his parents he is able to get through it. First, Louie witnesses an act of racism when his football coach decides that someone on the team was to purposely hurt an African American boy, Washington, who plays for Salmon River. Getting him out of the game will give Trout a guaranteed win. All his football coach cares about is winning. When Washington does get hit and hurt Louie gets very upset that the refs didn’t call a flag on the play. Actually, he gets so angry that he just walks off the field and quits football. That was his last game ever. Louie’s parents and friends were very proud of him for standing up for what he believed in. At that time, too, Louie had an amazing girlfriend, Becky, who helped him forget about everything. Becky did not force Louie to do anything that he didn’t want to do. Becky and Louie’s relationship was starting to get really serious when a tragedy struck. Becky had driven her car off a bridge trying to avoid a motorcycle. She died almost immediately. Louie was devastated. Everyone who was really close to Louie helped comfort him during this sad time of his life. It took a couple of months before Louie felt better and was back to his normal self. Louie also took up track to help get his mind off of Becky. He made it to state in the mile and two mile. By the end of Louie’s senior year of high school, Louie had become much more mature and grown up then he was before the school year started.

Becky Sanders – Becky was Louie’s girlfriend. Everyone guy in the school had a crush on her. Becky asked Louie out after a football game. Becky was a cheerleader for the football team. That is how she knew Louie. Becky was so respectful of all of Louie’s decisions. When Louie quite the football team, she even offered to quite cheerleading because she just did it for exercise. Louie said she didn’t have to, though. When Louie and Becky went cross-country skiing up to Becky’s cabin to spend the night, Louie was yet ready to have sex. Becky respected Louie’s choice. That night they learned a lot about each other. One day when Becky was driving over a bridge, a motorcycle was swerving on the road. Becky turned her car so she wouldn’t hit it. Becky ended up going over the edge and into the river. She died almost immediately. Louie couldn’t believe what had happened. Becky had taught Louie a lot about life and Louie loved Becky to death.

Carter Sampson – Carter is Louie’s best friend. Carter is also an amazing athlete. He plays quarterback on Trout’s high school football team. Carter is the best player on the team. He has a good chance that he will get a college scholarship for football. Carter also felt really bad and didn’t agree with what happened with the Washington situation. He never really did anything about it, though. Carter just let it fly past him. He did, however, respect Louie’s choice of quitting the football team. Carter was a really good friend to Louie through out the whole book. He helped Louie get through all of the tough times in his life.

Boomer Cowans – Boomer is kind of the bully in the story. He is always trying to pick fights with Louie or Carter. His behavior reflects on how he is treated at home. Boomer’s dad is very abusive to him. There are many times that Boomer has been beaten by his dad for being disrespectful. Boomer was the one who tackled Washington and hurt him. After Becky dies, Boomer starts being nicer to Louie. He realizes that Louie needs all the help he can get, to get over Becky’s death. Boomer, at the end of the story, becomes a more mature teenager than he was before.

Washington – Washington is an African American boy who plays football and runs track for Salmon River. He was the quarterback for the football team and runs the sprints for the track team. During the football game where Salmon River plays Trout, Washington was the one who got hurt because of Coach Lednecky’s plan. He was taken to the hospital, but luckily he didn’t break anything. During Salmon River’s track meet against Trout, Washington came up Louie and told him that he respected Louie for standing up for him. Washington and Louie became friends.

Norm Banks – Norm is Louie’s dad. They have a great relationship. Louie has a lot of respect for his father and Norm has a lot of respect for Louie. They can talk to each other about anything. Norm has helped Louie get through all of the tough times in his life.

Brenda Banks – Brenda is Louie’s mom. They too have a great relationship. Brenda does a lot to make Louie happy. She backs up her son in all of the major decisions he has made. Brenda is very proud of Louie for being able to stick up for what he believes in.

Coach Lednecky – Lednecky is the coach of Trout’s high school football team. He has lead the team to two state championships in a row and he is ready to make it three. Lednecky will do anything to win another state championship, which includes purposely hurting Washington to get him out of the game. With Washington out, Lednecky know that they’ll win for sure. The sad thing about him is that he is racist. After the game against Salmon River Lednecky denies ever telling his team to purposely knock out Washington, so he wouldn’t get fired from his job of course. Coach Lednecky does not deserve to be the coach of Trout’s football team.

Coach Madison – Madison is the assistant coach of Trout’s football team and the coach of the track team. Madison was totally against the whole Washington situation, but Lednecky didn’t care. After that football season was over Madison said he would never coach again with Lednecky. He also back up Louie with his decision of quitting the football team. When track season came along Madison really wanted Louie to join track to run the mile and the two mile. Louie agreed to. Madison gave Louie great tips on how to train. Those tips worked because Louie got to go to regionals. Coach Madison and Louie had a great relationship.

Principle Jasper – Jasper is the principle of Trout High School. Jasper agrees with everything Lednecky says. It seems like Lednecky has power over Jasper. It should not be that way. Jasper also loves sports. He decided to take Louie out of extracurricular actives because of Louie’s behavior at the Salmon River football game. A little later in the year Madison convinces Jasper to let Louie run track under certain circumstances. Jasper does not really get along with anybody in Trout except for Lednecky.

Mr. Sanders – Mr. Sanders is Becky’s dad. Becky and Mr. Sanders were best friends, they told each other everything. Becky just lived with her dad because her parents got divorced and her and her mom always got into fights. When Becky died Mr. Sanders had a really hard time getting over it. Since Louie and Becky had been dating, Louie came over almost every day to visit Mr. Sanders. Louie and Mr. Sanders relationship grew. By the end of the book they had become very close friends. They sat and talked about pretty much everything. Mr. Sanders became like a second father to Louie.

Dakota – Dakota is an older man that works at the same bar Louie does. Dakota never finished fourth grade, but he sure knows a lot about life. Whenever Louie is in a tough situation or needs help Dakota is always there ready to give him advice. Every time Dakota gives Louie advice it helps him so much, and he is able to get through the situation so much quicker and with a more positive attitude.