Phil Hutcheon's Desperation Passes

Violence among youth and young adults has always been a prevalent issue. It is famously associated with homicide—one of the leading causes of death for young adults in America. Violence is a hotly discussed topic in our society, and it is found in most of our media today. Phil Hutcheon’s Desperation Passes shines a spotlight upon violent behaviors and the consequences that violence has on young Americans for an excellent reason—violence among youth is tragic and detestable. It is a disgusting reality that plagues our society today. Hutcheon explores violence among youth through the death of CSU quarterback Marcus Foster. Hutcheon displays that violence among young adult minorities is horrifying through the death of Marcus Foster. Marcus’s death was significant because he defied societal expectations. He is an admirable character and contrasts greatly with the stereotypical image of a black college athlete. He “’was a young black man who valued his education’” and refused to attend any frat parties (Hutcheon 218). Unlike his teammates, A.J. Dupree and Thaddeus Marston, Marcus avoided violence and applied himself to studying. Wade notes that “’ [Marcus is] pretty young to have’” his academic priorities “’figured out’” when Marcus revealed that his motivation to remain a diligent student was because of his
There are many social issues in the story that is pervasive throughout our society today. The book serves as a reminder that life is far from sunshine and daffodils. However, the novel doesn’t just promote the idea that life is one hundred percent cruel, either. In spite of the fact that Marcus dies, the lives of the other characters’ do not end. Characters such as A.J. Dupree and Bludge gain a new appreciation of life through his death and mature because of it. Thus, Desperation Passes offers a small but sure glimmer of hope for the future to