Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Outcasts United, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Refugees, Discrimination, and Resilience
Community and Teamwork vs. Division
Leadership and Respect
Discipline, Dedication, and Success
Summary
Analysis
The morning of the Fifteens first official game, Luma throws up. Her nerves are “frayed”; she’s terrified that the boys will be humiliated, and they have “little self-esteem to spare.” When she arrives at the field, she is relieved to see a full roster of players, and Kanue leading the Fugees in their laps and stretches.
Luma’s reaction the morning of the Fifteens’ first game again shows her dedication to the team. She is so concerned about their well-being that she makes herself sick in worrying about them.
Themes
The opposing team is called the Lightning, a team from a mostly white middle-class suburb south of Atlanta. The program has a history of sending teams to state and national championships, and their sideline is filled with supportive parents, friends, and siblings. The Fugees have three fans: a couple who sometimes volunteers for the tutoring program, and a young Liberian named Tito who had been recruited late by a fellow Liberian on the team named Osman, and who hopes to join the Fugees someday.
St. John, as he does with nearly every game, demonstrates the contrast between the kind of support that more affluent teams have with the support that the Fugees have. This pattern of having very few fans makes the end of the book all the more surprising, when droves of people come out to see the Fugees play as a result of publishing the story, creating a community around the team.
Themes
Luma’s pregame speech is short: no cussing, and no tackling from behind. She doesn’t want her players losing their cool. They then stack their arms and chant, “Go Fugees!” The Fugees begin a bit tentatively, and ten minutes into the game, a Lightning player is able to sprint pass the Fugees and score. Kanue urges the team to keep their spirits up.
Just before the game, Luma makes sure to reemphasize that she wants her players to remain disciplined, even when they’re losing. Not doing so only pulls them further away from their goals.
Themes
Muamer is called a few times for being offsides, but Kanue doesn’t snap at him, simply gesturing for him to remain onside. Soon the Fugees make another run, and Mandela is able to power through the Lightning’s defenders to blast a shot into the goal. The score is 1-1. As the first half wears on, the Fugees continue to charge, until Mandela is able to pass the ball to another player named Sebajden, who scores. The Fugees lead 2-1.
In addition to being disciplined, the more that the boys are able to act like a team and support each other rather than tearing each other down, the greater success they are able to find on the field.
Themes
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At halftime, Luma is relieved, but tries not to let it show. She tells her players that they are playing well but warns them not to get sloppy. She also says that their opponents are going to mark Mandela in the second half. She tells him to draw in the defenders and then pass the ball to someone on the outside. After doing this a few times, he can take the shot himself. She tells them to keep up the good effort, and that this game will set the tone for the season today. She tells them to score twice more.
Even though Luma is tough, she knows that the boys need encouragement as well. This is the kind of strategy that earns Luma the most respect. She awards their resolve, but still pushing them to do better and better, emphasizing that they must play as a team and keep up the hard work.
Themes
The Fugees take the field with “a new energy and confidence.” The Lightning mark Mandela, who becomes frustrated and draws a yellow card. Kanue tells him to calm down. On the next play, Mandela dribbles down the field as the defense rushes toward him. He then passes the ball out to Muamer, who is able to score: 3-1, Fugees.
Mandela is frustrated with not being able to take the shots on the goal himself because he is being surrounded by so many defenders. But, as Luma counsels, he prioritizes the team over his own desire to score and passes to an open teammate, who can then score instead.
Themes
With twelve minutes to go, the Lightning score again on a penalty kick. Kanue encourages them to keep fighting, even though they’re getting tired. Moments later, Mandela is able to break free again. This time he charges the box and scores the goal himself, following Luma’s advice. Tito and the two volunteers shout in celebration: Fugees are ahead, 4-2.
Kanue, who has always been supportive of Luma’s strategies, acts throughout the game like a stand-in for her, which is perhaps the ultimate test of leadership for Luma. She has provided the boys with enough guidance that they can keep each other on track to win, as Kanue does here.
Themes
The final minutes of the game are “desperate and dangerous.” The Lightning score another goal and the Fugees start to lose their cool, sensing the momentum against them. The Fugees are called for a foul, and the Lightning are awarded a free kick. The striker kicks the ball as hard as he can as the other players charge in front. The Fugees goalie is frozen, but in the midst of the chaos, Kanue leaps into the air and heads the ball out of the way. The referee blows the whistle: the Fugees have won.
Against all odds, and despite the fact that this is their first real game together the Fugees are able to win. Even with high intensity, their hard work and discipline (particularly from Kanue) pays off. And Luma’s leadership pays off as well, as she is able to rid her team of the lazy and undedicated players, and still maintain a community for the boys who follow her rules.
Themes
Luma is amazed: her players, many of whom are still strangers to each other, are high-fiving and shouting joyfully as they run to each other—they are as surprised as she is. Luma smiles for the first time in two weeks and says to her players, “I didn’t think you guys were going to come through today […] but you played a beautiful game.”
