Analysis of "ex-Basketball Player" by John Updike

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saying “The ball loved Flick”(3). This is showing to emphasize flicks skill in basketball when he was in high school. The simile “His hands were like wild birds” (3) is also another way of describing his excellence in basketball. The alliterations “grease-gray” (5) and “loose and low” (2) were also used to keep the dry tone of the poem.

The theme of the poem is the idea that one must move on, and not cling to one important memory in their life. Throughout Flick’s young life he was known as a star, and it is obvious that he thought this fame would last forever. He was completely unprepared when it was time to move on from high school and into real life. Most of the time, popularity is short lived, as it was in this case. Flick was left with no other options, so he became a gas station attendant, and still lives on his memories of being a high school basketball player. He never transitioned and now is stuck in a boring, mediocre life with little to no chance to advance his life. I determined the theme by looking at the authors low diction, and noticing that its portraying what Flick does is everyday and not interesting. In a way, this story could also be sad. Flick was so popular and had ample chances and potential to do something big, but he could never pull himself out of his never ending day dream.

The author did a very good job at maintaining the readers attention throughout the story through various literary devices and imagery. It really made me open my eyes to high school today as well. It’s astonishing how the high amount of adoring fans fade away when Flick no longer had a sports jersey on his back. He serves as an excellent lesson to all high school students that want to have a successful future. While one should live life in the moment, they must do it in moderation, as it is never known when it can pass them by.