Fast Pitch

A crucial element of these chapters’ narrative arc is the rising action. The narrative introduces more conflict, setting, and characterization as Shenice learns about her family’s history.

When she learns that her great-grandfather’s history with baseball no longer exists because due to being accused of a crime, Shenice loses focus. She metaphorically becomes disconnected from her skills because she now carries the burden of restoring her family’s lost history. This dynamic will continue throughout the novel because Stone parallels Shenice’s skills on the field with her family’s legacy. The more entangled in her family’s legacy Shenice becomes, the less skillfully she plays. In these chapters, she has her “head in the clouds—and certainly not in any sort of captain-mode” because all she can focus on is “that little brown book” (36). What Stone incorporates in Shenice’s story is the fear that her legacy can just as easily be erased—that being captain of the Fulton Firebirds and proving everyone wrong about her and her team won’t mean anything in the long term.

Shenice, already burdened by the pressure of her family’s baseball legacy, receives more weight and expectations in the symbol of her dad’s high school championship ring. She feels she does not deserve her father’s recognition for being a successful team captain: “And partially because I feel like it’s a lie. I didn’t really lead anybody to anything. If we’re honest, my team sorta had to drag me along” (38). Instead of depicting Shenice’s growth, Stone presents her story initially as a story of regression. She does not immediately become a better softball captain or player—instead, she becomes worse. This choice exemplifies how heavy the expectations Shenice shoulders are. She does not yet know how to demonstrate Teamwork and Effective Leadership; specifically, she does not yet know how to delegate and accept what is and is not her responsibility. Whereas many character arcs demonstrate growth throughout their narratives, Stone crafts a complex character arc for Shenice that reflects a more realistic portrayal of a middle-grade character overcoming challenges to this extent. It also reflects the unspoken societal expectation that her father mentions in the first chapters—how children must bear the weight of society’s bigotry and oppression toward people of color.

Chapters 4-7 also examine the impact of Sports’ Connection to Personal and Familial Identity. Shenice’s learning that her great-grandfather’s legacy has been erased leaves her feeling disconnected and uncertain: “Didn’t have the courage to ask Daddy why he stopped playing baseball this morning. I guess since finding out the trunk is real, and seeing inside of it, I’m a little nervous about all the things I don’t know” (32). Stone emphasizes the significance of familial history and connection. By disconnecting Shenice from the world around her, eroding her confidence in her family, and taking away her identity within the game, Stone creates an internal conflict that Shenice must overcome to become the captain and player her family legacy foretells. The weight of this disconnect, and the family secrets she now bears, manifest symbolically through the items she carries in her backpack: the newspaper clipping, the journal, and the high school championship ring. The weight she feels is not literal—these items collectively weigh very little—but Stone uses specific descriptive language to portray how her family’s identity burdens Shenice. Rather than allowing Shenice to accept and carry her family’s identity easily, Stone shows how Shenice struggles under its burden, allowing younger readers to normalize feeling overwhelmed by the tasks and expectations others place upon them.