Lu

These first two chapters introduce protagonist Lu Richardson as he begins to navigate challenges that will become central to the development of the text. Lu’s confidence and self-development are important to his character arc, and a few instances introduced early in the story contribute to this. Lu feels insecure upon learning the news that his parents are expecting a new baby. He derives a sense of self in part from the remarkable circumstances of his birth and life. He grew up understanding that his mother was told she would not be able to bear children, that his birth was special not only because of that but because of his albinism. When he learns that his mother is pregnant again he at once internalizes the news as a kind of diminishment: “another baby was almost impossible. A miracle with some extra miracle-ness sprinkled on it. Magic. Lightning. Striking. Twice” (9). Lu, a “miracle,” views himself as somehow less than a miracle now, which is a feeling he will come to terms with throughout the text.

These chapters also introduce the importance of Lu’s track team to his sense of self and belonging. Lu is new to his track team along with his three friends, Patty, Ghost, and Sunny. Track is a place where Lu feels successful, and he also has a community who supports him. This is clear when Lu tells his friends about the new baby, and they ask him whether he is happy about the news. Despite Lu’s statement that he is happy, “Patty cocked her head [...] judging by the way Ghost looked at me all squinty-eyed, I knew he knew it was something else” (17). Lu’s friends can read the subtext in Lu’s assertion that he is happy about his baby sibling, but also do not push him to explain more. They trust him to come to them with how he is really feeling only when he is ready.

Apart from his friendships, track offers Lu an opportunity to explore leadership opportunities. Although he is new to the team, Coach already promoted Lu to the role of co-captain, which shows his leadership potential. Success on the track comes easily to Lu as a sprinter, but in Chapter 2 Lu explains that he is practicing for a new event: the 110 meter hurdles. The hurdle takes on metaphorical meaning when Lu explains that he struggles to successfully make it over the hurdles, and in fact injured his ankle in his last race attempt. Lu explains his difficulty with hurdles: “Here’s the thing. When you look at a hurdle, it don’t really seem like that big of a deal until you get right up on it” (21-22). This quote implies that or challenges that seem simple from far away can oftentimes become more daunting the closer one gets to them. Then, it becomes time to either take the leap and surmount them, or stumble and fall. There will be more hurdles in Lu’s future, both on and off the track, so this early introduction of Lu’s struggle to successfully hurdle shows the importance of this symbol moving forward.