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17 years old, Benji is one of the mainstays of the junior hockey team, known especially for his fierce fighting and reliable defense of Kevin on the ice. Kevin is also Benji’s best friend. Benji grew up with his mother and three older sisters, Adri, Katia, and Gaby, who adore him but are also quick to scold him when he messes up. Benji’s dad, Alan Ovich, committed suicide when Benji was small, and Benji has never gotten over it. Like his father, Benji is a tormented soul with “sad eyes and a wild heart,” and he often gets in trouble—smoking pot, cutting school, and ditching practice—but he’s so important to the hockey team that he rarely faces consequences. Unlike some of his teammates, especially Kevin, Benji is quick to notice when other people are hurting, and he avoids going along with the crowd. He is kind to Maya after the rape, and his friendship with Kevin ends once he finds out what happened. Benji is gay, although only his family seems to know it; he has a brief romantic relationship with an unnamed bass player who performs at Katia’s bar. Benji stays in Beartown at the end of the novel, joining the new A-team and teaching children’s skating.
Benjamin Ovich (Benji) Quotes in Beartown
The Beartown quotes below are all either spoken by Benjamin Ovich (Benji) or refer to Benjamin Ovich (Benji). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 50
Quotes
None of them sees the first skate of the child who’s the last one out. She’s four years old, a scrawny little kid in gloves that are too big for her, with bruises everyone sees but nobody asks about. Her helmet slips down across her eyes, but the look in them is clear enough.
Adri and Sune come after her, ready to hold the girl up, until they realize that there’s no need. The four boys at the center circle will build a new A-team next season, but that doesn’t matter, because in ten years’ time it won’t be their names that make the people of this town stand taller.
And they’ll all lie and say they were here and saw it happen. The first skate of the girl who will become the most talented player this club has ever seen. They’ll all say they knew it even then.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Beartown LitChart as a printable PDF.
Benjamin Ovich (Benji) Quotes in Beartown
The Beartown quotes below are all either spoken by Benjamin Ovich (Benji) or refer to Benjamin Ovich (Benji). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 50
Quotes
None of them sees the first skate of the child who’s the last one out. She’s four years old, a scrawny little kid in gloves that are too big for her, with bruises everyone sees but nobody asks about. Her helmet slips down across her eyes, but the look in them is clear enough.
Adri and Sune come after her, ready to hold the girl up, until they realize that there’s no need. The four boys at the center circle will build a new A-team next season, but that doesn’t matter, because in ten years’ time it won’t be their names that make the people of this town stand taller.
And they’ll all lie and say they were here and saw it happen. The first skate of the girl who will become the most talented player this club has ever seen. They’ll all say they knew it even then.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
