Heroes

by

Robert Cormier

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Heroes makes teaching easy.

The Wreck Center Symbol Analysis

The Wreck Center Symbol Icon

The “Wreck Center” (the nickname for Monument’s recreation center) symbolizes the danger of attempting to disguise or bury internal pain and trauma instead of confronting it. Even though the Wreck Center has been renovated and renamed, it is still haunted by its horrific past as the site of a gruesome murder-suicide. The shoddy workmanship of the building’s renovations is a nod to the notion that attempting to cover up problems can never truly erase or disguise them, and the nickname “Wreck Center” shows how the horror of the building’s past lingers in the minds of Frenchtown residents. Ultimately, Joey LeBlanc’s prophesy of impending (or, rather, returning) doom at the Wreck Center comes to pass when Larry LaSalle rapes Nicole Renard there. Since the Wreck Center was a central part of Francis’ childhood (and the site of its abrupt end when he witnessed Nicole’s rape), the Wreck Center serves mainly as a metaphorical parallel for Francis’s attempts to disguise his past traumas. On a literal level, he physically hides his war wounds beneath a scarf and a cap (paralleling the Wreck Center’s renovations), and on a figurative level, he hides the trauma of his childhood behind anonymity once he returns to Frenchtown (much like the name change from Grenier Hall, the site of the murder-suicide, to the Recreation Center). Ultimately, the Wreck Center serves as a warning, showing that hiding from trauma can lead those traumas to return.

The Wreck Center Quotes in Heroes

The Heroes quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Wreck Center. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

The Wreck Center became my headquarters in the seventh and eighth grade, a place away from the sidewalks and empty lots of Frenchtown. I had never been a hero in such places, too short and un-coordinated for baseball and too timid to join the gangs that hung around the street corners.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Wreck Center
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:

Dazzled by his talent and his energy, most of us didn't dwell on the rumors. In fact, the air of mystery that surrounded him added to his glamour. He was our champion, and we were happy to be in his presence.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Larry LaSalle
Related Symbols: The Wreck Center
Page Number: 45
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Heroes LitChart as a printable PDF.
Heroes PDF

The Wreck Center Symbol Timeline in Heroes

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Wreck Center appears in Heroes. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
Against his better judgment, Francis sets out to visit the Wreck Center . However, he is intercepted on his way by fellow Frenchtown veteran and former baseball... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
...of their future careers, Francis slips out of the bar unnoticed and heads towards the Wreck Center , his scarf and bandages disguising himself from the residents he sees along the way. (full context)
Chapter 5
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
Standing before the boarded-up Wreck Center , Francis begins to recall its bloody past as Grenier’s Hall. A place for wedding... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...least but still leery of its violent history, it quickly became known as the “ Wreck Center .” (full context)
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
After the renovations were completed, Larry LaSalle appeared in Frenchtown to take control of the Wreck Center , taking on pupils in dance, theater, arts and crafts, and calisthenics. Looking for a... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Later in the summer, Nicole began to participate in the dance classes at the Wreck Center . Larry’s star pupil, she easily stood out from the rest of the dancers, further... (full context)
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...his constant predictions that doom and suffering would once again return to the now beloved Wreck Center , he is quickly snapped back to the present. Solemnly, Francis turns to leave, admitting... (full context)
Chapter 6
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...emotion by Francis’ sudden question, Arthur leads a toast to “the patron saint of the Wreck Center .” Then, the Strangler, the old bartender who seldom drinks, toasts from behind the bar... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...recalls that Francis, a Silver Star hero in his own right, had once been the Wreck Center Ping-Pong champion. Bonded now by their shared childhood in addition to their service in the... (full context)
Chapter 7
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
...with the day that Larry saw him dejectedly sitting on the back steps of the Wreck Center . When Larry inquires is Francis is all right, Francis confesses that he feels lousy... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Wanting to help Francis, Larry convinces him to return to the Wreck Center the following day to start lessons in a new sport in which Francis is sure... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
...convinces Francis to stick with Ping-Pong, giving him a new sense of purpose at the Wreck Center . Often, he admits, he looks for Nicole during his good games. After a particularly... (full context)
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
While Francis is in the Wreck Center practicing Ping-Pong, he begins to notice how Nicole is not only a beautiful dancer, but... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
...of confidence as the tournament begins. Finally, Francis defeats Louis Arabelle to be named the Wreck Center Ping-Pong champion. As Nicole hand Francis his trophy, his eyes begin to tear up out... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...if Larry will go through with the charade or win so decisively that the whole Wreck Center would know that the game had been his from the start. Ultimately, Larry allows Francis... (full context)
Chapter 9
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When he makes his announcement from the steps of the Wreck Center , he declines the applause of his pupils, claiming he is just answering the call... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
Starting with the closing of the Wreck Center in Larry’s absence, Francis begins to recount some of the major changes to Frenchtown during... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
...day as Francis and Nicole walk home after their date, they pass the now shuttered Wreck Center , remembering how on the second night of their “double header,” Nicole’s party was abruptly... (full context)
Chapter 11
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...from the war after being awarded the Silver Star. Initially, though, Francis and the other Wreck Center children are excitedly awaiting the return of their hero at the Monument train station. When... (full context)
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...gratitude, also announcing to the crowd how thrilled he was to be back with his Wreck Center crew. (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...discreetly slip out of the party, carousing through the streets until they arrive at the Wreck Center that Larry had gotten unlocked for the night. Everyone floods into their old haunt, playing... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...begs him to stay. Ultimately unable to disobey his hero, Francis turns to leave the Wreck Center . (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Bursting through the darkness, a battered Nicole goes to leave the Wreck Center , spotting Francis as he steps out from the shadows towards her. Nicole, however, waves... (full context)
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Larry, unaware that Francis had witnessed his horrendous crime, leaves the Wreck Center , casually whistling “Dancing in the Dark.” With his exit, Joey LeBlanc’s prophecy of doom... (full context)
Chapter 14
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
Francis, however, remains standing as Larry begins to reminisce about their Wreck Center glory days, his old “movie star smile” flitting across his face. When he brings up... (full context)
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...Still holding the gun, Francis asks Larry if he had ever realized how mush the Wreck Center children idolized their teacher. From his rocking chair, Larry asks if his “one sin” erases... (full context)
Chapter 16
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
Flawed Heroes Theme Icon
Appearance vs. Reality Theme Icon
...Larry was. Serious now, Nicole says that while Larry had made her and the other Wreck Center children feel special, however now, away from it all, she is beginning to discover who... (full context)