Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Ghost, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Running and Trauma
Poverty
Friendship
Arrogance and Humility
Summary
Analysis
On practice the following Monday, Ghost feels close to the other rookies and spends time hanging out with them. Some of the veterans on the team walk up and begin teasing them about their newfound friendship. They trade joking insults back and forth, which leads to one of the veterans, Curron, attempting to make a generic joke about Sunny’s mother. Curron does not know that Sunny’s mom is deceased, and he does not mean anything by it. However, before he can even get the words out, Ghost steps up and tells him to knock it off. This leads to a brief argument that Coach Brody quickly breaks up. Coach Brody reminds everyone that they are a team and should be defending each other like Ghost did for Sunny, not fighting.
The veterans have all experienced Coach Brody’s ritual, so they know how the rookies are feeling. However, they do not know the specifics of what was said at the dinner, which leads to an unintentionally uncomfortable conversation between Curron and Sunny. And just as Ghost defended Brandon at school last week, he defends Sunny here, suggesting that Ghost is feeling more connected to and positive about his teammates and classmates. Although Coach Brody moves in to break up the argument, he is proud of Ghost and his fellow rookies for taking the right lesson from the dinner.
Themes
Ghost performs well at the beginning of practice but goes too hard to prove he is faster than everybody. This decision makes the rest of practice quite difficult, and he has to soak in the bath to destress his muscles when he returns home. After Monday’s practice, Ghost begins to fall into a good routine. Although some days are tougher than others, the only day that give Ghost any genuine worries are Thursdays, when the team runs through the streets. He worries that one day they will run by the sports store where he stole the shoes and Tia will be there to recognize him. By far, Ghost’s favorite day of the week is Friday because it is everyone’s day off from track practice.
Although Ghost has learned some lessons, there are still others he has yet to grasp. Still, he is too conceited and believes that he can beat everyone, when in reality he does not understand the strategy and nuance involved in track. Additionally, Ghost begins to realize that the issue of the stolen shoes is going to keep cropping up in his life one way or another until he either finds a way to fix it or gets caught.
Themes
Everything carries on as usual until Uniform Day, which occurs the week leading up to the team’s first official track meet. Coach Brody comes to practice carrying a box of new uniforms for everyone on the team. It is a big day for everyone because getting your uniform means you are officially part of the team and can run on race day. Ghost is especially excited because he has been running in some modified nursing scrubs.
Like the rookie dinner, Uniform Day is another rite of passage, which everyone looks forward to. Similar to the dinner, Uniform Day is especially important to Ghost because he has been running in such inappropriate clothing. Whether he realizes it or not, his nursing scrubs make his stolen sneakers stand out because they are so at odds.
Themes
Coach Brody begins calling out names and handing people their uniforms. Ghost eagerly awaits his name, but it never comes. While everyone else is admiring their new uniforms, Ghost asks Coach Brody if he forgot about him. Coach Brody’s expression darkens into a look of disappointment, and he hands Ghost a folded up piece of paper. Ghost unfolds the paper and sees a picture of himself walking away from the sporting goods store with the word “shoplifter” underneath. Coach Brody begins laying into Ghost, ordering him to take off the stolen shoes and sit down. Everyone else looks on with concern, which Ghost finds embarrassing but preferable to laughter.
Finally, Ghost’s biggest mistake returns and this time it looks like his punishment will be serious. Because Coach Brody is generally quite jovial, his darkened mood has everyone on the team concerned. Over the last several weeks, Ghost has grown close to Coach Brody, so his disappointment stings much more than it did a few weeks ago. In this moment, Ghost has no idea what his future on the team will be, but his lack of a uniform does not look promising.
Themes
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Ghost sits and watches the entire practice, thinking about what he has done. Afterwards, Coach Brody drives him home in silence. When they pull up to Ghost’s home, Coach Brody gets out of the car, startling Ghost. Ghost asks him what he plans to do. Coach Brody tells him that he plans to tell his mother what he did. Immediately, Ghost begins begging Coach Brody not to say anything. The entire reason he stole the shoes in the first place is so he would not be a burden on his mother. Now, it seems like his mother is going to be burdened, and she will be disappointed in him.
Ghost has already disappointed one of the two most important authority figures in his life, and he is not eager to disappoint the other one. Although he does not say so—and perhaps does not consciously realize it—Ghost does not want his mother to consider him a criminal because that would align him with his father. Ghost cannot stand the thought of her disappointment and what it might do to their relationship.
Themes
Coach Brody gives in and agrees he will not say anything to Ghost’s mother. Then, he asks Ghost why he stole the shoes. Ghost explains that he did not want to burden his mother. In response, Coach Brody says that Ghost should have asked him. Ghost did not feel he could come to Coach Brody because he is not his father and did not feel he would understand.
Although Coach Brody is still angry, the rookie dinner also gave him a sense of what Ghost has gone through, and perhaps allows him to act more sympathetically. Although Ghost says Coach Brody is not his father, both of them know that he has become the closest thing Ghost has to a father.
Themes
Coach Brody says he understands plenty, and then he shows Ghost a tattoo on his chest that looks like an Olympic gold medal. He tells Ghost that he got the tattoo because his father was abusive and addicted to drugs; he sold the actual medal to get high. The drugs he bought with the money ended up killing him, and he died on a stoop just down the street from Ghost’s house. At this point, everything clicks into place in Ghost’s brain, and he realizes that Coach Brody is also from Glass Manor. Then, Ghost asks Coach Brody if he will still be able to run on race day. Coach Brody tells Ghost that he can, but he will have to wear his own shoes. Additionally, he tells Ghost that he will be spending Friday afternoon cleaning out his cab.
Coach Brody believes Ghost’s problem is that he constantly makes excuses for himself rather than owning up to his behavior. As such, Coach Brody decides to share his past with Ghost in hopes that it will get through to him. Although Coach Brody had a difficult childhood, he persevered, and he does not blame the negative aspects of his life on other people. However, because Coach Brody understands Ghost, he also wants to give him one final chance, which Ghost is eager to take advantage of.
Themes
Ghost has a good week of practice, though his old shoes slow him down a bit. He dreams of running the 100-meter race but feels Lu will likely end up performing the event at the first meet. On Friday, Coach Brody parks his taxi next to a dumpster and Ghost cleans it for him. While cleaning out the cab, Ghost finds a duffel bag with the name “Otis” on it, which he learns is Coach Brody’s first name. He also finds a photo of a man and a boy that he promptly hands to Coach Brody. Coach Brody thanks him for finding the photo and tells him it is a picture of Coach Brody with his father. Ghost can tell that Coach Brody loves his father, even though they had a difficult relationship.
Although cleaning out the cab is supposed to be Ghost’s punishment, it turns into yet another bonding exercise for Ghost and Coach Brody. While looking at the photograph of Coach Brody and his father, Ghost sees that their relationship is similar to the one he has with his own father. Despite the fact that his father tried to kill him, Ghost still feels love and sympathy for him, even if his father has permanently damaged their relationship through his actions.
Themes
When Ghost finishes cleaning the cab, Coach Brody drives him to the sporting goods store where he stole the shoes. Ghost goes inside with Coach Brody and apologizes to Tia. He does not make excuses for himself; he simply says he made a stupid mistake. Although Tia behaves coldly toward him at first, she comes around and forgives him once she hears the apology. Then, Coach Brody hands Tia his credit card to pay for the shoes. As Tia checks them out, Coach Brody puts Ghost in a headlock and, with a smile, warns him never to do anything like this again.
Here, Ghost directly faces up to what he has done and does so admirably. Rather than make an excuse for himself, which he has done for the entire novel, he owns up to his actions and grows as a person because of the experience. Although the interaction makes everyone involved uncomfortable, it is also necessary for Ghost’s maturation.
Themes
