46 pages • 1 hour read
Carl DeukerGym Candy
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Steroids
Steroids play a literal function in Gym Candy—they make Mick stronger, faster and unstoppable on the field—but they also represent the sorts of tempting shortcuts that come at the cost of personal integrity. When an illegal drug is taken in order to win at a game—particularly at the high-school level—the pursuit of success has become pathologized. When the key to victory on the field comes with the risk of rage, suicidal depression, breast tissue, and more, it is clear that Mick over-prioritizes the sport.
Mick’s Football Helmet
Mick says, “There’s something incredible about pulling a helmet on just before a game […] Your vision narrows, and the whole world shrinks. You can’t hear much of what goes on outside you, but you can hear yourself breathe and you can feel yourself sweat” (196). Mick’s helmet is a protection on the field, but it can also be seen dually as a symbol of isolation and identity, forcing one to focus on themselves first, and most. Mick is most comfortable on the football field. When he takes the helmet off after a game, he is vulnerable again, because he has to return to the rest of his life, which is more uncertain than the game.
The Memorabilia Wall
In the den, Mick’s father has an empty wall that is meant to hold Mick’s future trophies, newspaper articles, and other memorabilia related to his football career. The empty space on the wall is a constant reminder to Mick that he needs to produce; otherwise, the wall will remain empty. It is also a reminder that, had his father behaved himself in the NFL, the wall might have been filled with his own honors.
Mick’s Mother’s Bible
Religion doesn’t play much of a role in Gym Candy. Mick’s mother goes to church each Sunday and his father only goes on Easter and Christmas, which is when Mick goes as well. “Spirituality is a part of life, too,” says his mother (181).However, it is not until the end of the novel, when she gives Mick her Bible, that Mick seems to show interest in anything spiritual. He thinks of his childhood when his mother would read him Bible stories meant to inspire him. But when he reads, he is not drawn to stories of comfort, and rather to the narrative of Judas Iscariot betraying Christ. The Bible is a reminder to Mick that he strayed from his intended path, and knows he may do so again, if he cannot resist the temptation to return to steroids.
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