Checked Cynthia Kadohata Character Analysis

It is essential to appreciate the little things in life, especially when it comes to family and friends, this will allow you to see how great life can be. Connor is an 11-year-old boy who lives with only his father in California. Over the past year, Connor has struggled to find his purpose in life after dealing with the separation of his parents and the financial issues his father has dealt with. However, he feels as though hockey is bringing his life back together through the feeling of belonging on the ice. Cynthia Kadohata evolves the plot and conveys the theme of the story through the struggles Connor goes through and how he adjusts to change as the main character. Throughout the book Checked, the author Cynthia Kadohata uses the development

This allows Connor’s character arc to be shown in the book's passages. The trigger of Connor’s character arc is when he discovers his passion for hockey and the joy it brings him during a difficult time in his life. Hockey allows him to take his mind off of his stressful life, this motivates him to work harder and see the potential he has to pursue his dream of becoming a hockey star just like his father. This is shown in the text when Connor leaves the hockey rink after a lesson, “Then it’s like whoosh, as soon as I take my mind off the ice. I think about our house.” (Kadohata 30). This quote clearly describes that Connor’s only distraction from thinking about his house being burnt down by the wildfire was hockey. When Connor realizes that his dream may not allow his father to remain financially stable, he begins to worry as he has just found out about his dog having cancer, he starts to connect the dots and realize how much money they are putting down for his lessons and league. His realization is shown in the text when he thinks to himself, “Sinbad has cancer. And it’s going to cost almost seven thousand dollars to treat. That makes me feel frozen inside, like my blood’s not moving for a minute there. I get the call from the vet while at my teammate Jae-Won’s house.” (Kadohata 81). This shows that Connor is clearly shaken up by the fact that he may not be able to play hockey for much longer for the better of his best friend. Connor struggles with his new form of off-season training for his upcoming season on his AAA peewee team, the training which was at one point multiple lessons every week with plenty of time on the ice had turned into no lessons at all, with little stick time. This would allow his father to be able to pay for the league fees. Connor shows how anxious he is to get back on the ice when he is working out with his dad, “It’s all