Perseverance In The Boys And The Boat

“Getting knocked down in life is a given. Getting up and moving forward is a choice.”(Zig Ziglar). In the novel, The Boys and the Boat, Joe Rantz, the main character, got knocked down in life more times than he could count, but he always got up and moved forward. At a young age, Joe Rantz’s mother passed away and his family abandoned him. He learned to fend and work to make money to provide for himself, making enough money to go to college, where he made the rowing team, despite the many challenges. His hard work and dedication paid off as he eventually made it to the Olympics, and brought home a gold medal. Throughout Joe's life in The Boys and the Boat, the theme of perseverance is shown through his experience of struggles such as his childhood

For example, when he was four, his mother passed away and as a result his father did not take it well so he left, sending Joe to live with his aunt. Then when he was five, Joe Rantz’s older brother summoned him to come back to Spokane, where Joe took a train all by himself across the country. Another example was when Joe was ten and living happily once again with his father, his stepmother, Thula, and her children. Thula did not like Joe and sent him away, where he was abandoned for the second time and had to learn to be alone once again. Later, Joe Rantz and his family came together again, but that would not be the last time he was abandoned. His family's lack of caring made him feel alone and unable to trust people around him. However, he did try to reconnect with his family and fix his broken relationships. This shows the theme of perseverance because he never gave up on his family even though they had given up on him. He kept going even though he did not feel loved, and he was all alone. Overall, Joe Rantz's hard childhood led him to have trust issues, but he was determined to keep on going, which is also shown when he was on the crew