By the end of the book, Holling has become a dedicated cross country runner. Although he starts out running simply because he's told to, he eventually learns to take the sport seriously and train for a performance he can be proud of.

He learns to stand up for himself and those he cares about, and to find beauty and life whenever possible, in spite of the knowledge that war and death are prominent in the world. By the end of the novel, Hoodhood has learned that life is about compromise, and about finding your own destiny.

Holling knew that it would be difficult to choose the path of freedom from his father's wishes, but part of him was torn between pleasing his father and pleasing himself. Holling figured out that when a person decides what their focus is, life will seem clearer, even though its difficulties may not be over.

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2 years ago