Tim “Best Team-man” Black Character Analysis

Tim, whom Blacky calls Team-man, is Blacky’s older brother. Despite receiving the “Best Team-man” trophy every year on their football team, Team-man does not usually sacrifice anything for his family. For example, when Blacky and Team-man get in trouble with their father for fishing too far out in the ocean, Team-man blames Blacky. However, at the end of the novel, Team-man heroically steals their father’s car to keep him from punishing Blacky, and this act of selflessness changes Blacky’s perspective on his brother. Blacky realizes Team-man is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his family when they need it most, and he starts calling his brother Tim because the nickname no longer seems like a joke. This fits into Blacky’s larger realization about needing to be close with his family so that the siblings can take care of and take responsibility for each other.