Previous
Chapter 18
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Runner, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Money, Class, and Community
Growing Up
Grief
Ambition
Crime
Summary
Analysis
Charlie continues training with Mr. Redmond as the day of the race nears. During that time, the war between the gangs of Richmond and Fitzroy grows increasingly violent. Charlie feels guilty about lying to his mother and finally tells that he works for Squizzy Taylor. Mrs. Feehan says that she already knows. Charlie promises her that after the footrace, he will find a respectable job, and things will be different for them.
Charlie escapes Squizzy’s gang just as Melbourne organized crime enters its most violent period. Squizzy’s attack on rival gangs would come to be known as the “Fitzroy Vendetta,” which cemented him as a prominent force in Melbourne. He gained more power and infamy through the 1920s until 1927, when another gangster shot him. Historians are conflicted over which of Squizzy’s enemies ordered his death. Prominent theories place the blame on Snowy Cutmore or Henry Stokes, both of whom Charlie encounters in passing.
Themes
On the Thursday before the race, Alice and Charlie visit Nostrils in the hospital. Charlie introduces Alice to Nostrils, and the group quickly falls into easy conversation. When it’s time for Charlie and Alice to leave, Nostrils assures Charlie that he will win the footrace. Outside the hospital, Alice kisses Charlie on the cheek and gives him an envelope to read when he gets to the race. He says he’ll be running for her, but she tells him to run for himself.
Part of Charlie’s coming-of-age journey has been finding friends who love and support him, and he has found those friends in Nostrils and Alice. Alice’s kiss hints that she may be open to exploring a romantic relationship with Charlie as well. She proves that she understands Charlie when she tells him to run the race for himself. Despite his self-interested motivations, Charlie has spent the book running for other people, most frequently Squizzy Taylor. Now that his family is no longer in such desperate circumstances, he can run simply because he loves to do it.
Themes
Charlie passes the timber yard on his way home, and he remembers Daisy urging him to do “somethin[g] good” with his money. The next morning, before leaving for the race, he counts the money he earned working for Squizzy. He has saved an impressive amount, and he remembers playing games with fake money with his father. Charlie has already decided what to do with the money, since “this was no longer a game, and [he is] no longer a boy.” Later, Mrs. Redmond and Mrs. Feehan say a heartfelt goodbye to Mr. Redmond and Charlie as they leave for the race.
Charlie still thinks of Mr. Feehan often, but he recalls him fondly and is working through his grief. Charlie’s assertion that “this was no longer a game, and [he is] no longer a boy” highlights his commitment to being mature and providing for his family. He is no longer chasing the thrills of crime; he just wants to successfully take his place as the man of the house.
Themes
