Spare Parts

by

Joshua Davis

Michael Hanck Character Analysis

Another student who is a part of the larger robotics team at Carl Hayden. He is Cristian’s age and invites Cristian onto the team. Michael helps build the pumpkin-throwing trebuchet, but when the robotics team starts to work on the robot, Michael’s participation is more haphazard. He has a hard time in school and struggles to maintain his grades. Subject to Fredi’s rule that if he cannot keep his grades up he cannot be on the team, Fredi and Allan announce that Michael will be unable to go on the trip to Santa Barbara just one day before they leave, forcing the other students to adapt and shift Michael’s responsibilities to Oscar.
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Michael Hanck Character Timeline in Spare Parts

The timeline below shows where the character Michael Hanck appears in Spare Parts. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
One
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
Immigration, Prejudice, and the American Dream Theme Icon
Mentorship Theme Icon
...build or an idea to test. Cristian hears about Fredi from a fellow freshman named Michael Hanck, who is building robots in the class. It is what Cristian has been waiting... (full context)
Mentorship Theme Icon
Curiosity, Creativity, and Adventure Theme Icon
...start, but the kids who show up are thrilled to be a part of it—including Michael Hanck, who had taken Fredi’s marine science class as a freshman and joined the team... (full context)
Teamwork, Friendship, and Motivation Theme Icon
Mentorship Theme Icon
Curiosity, Creativity, and Adventure Theme Icon
...Lorenzo and Cristian both sign up for the 7:00 a.m. robotics club class. Together with Michael Hanck, they begin to construct a massive catapult. As their designs grow outlandish, Fredi sees... (full context)
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
...for being late. When the competition starts, it takes all three of them—Cristian, Oscar, and Michael—to arm the trebuchet. On their first try, the pumpkin flies about 100 feet. They add... (full context)
Two
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
...at the unusual crew filing into her facility: Cristian, Luis, Lorenzo, Oscar, Fredi, Allan, and Michael Hanck, who is there to help pilot the robot. (full context)
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
...coming to life. Cristian is in charge of the robot’s up and down movements, while Michael is in charge of moving it left, right, forward, and backward. (full context)
Teamwork, Friendship, and Motivation Theme Icon
The team hasn’t seen much of Michael lately. He struggled in school and enrolled in summer classes. Fredi and Allan told him... (full context)
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
...to get it back out because the tether is threaded through the hoop. Cristian and Michael try to drive it back, but Stinky begins to spin erratically before slamming into the... (full context)
Teamwork, Friendship, and Motivation Theme Icon
Cristian and Michael try piloting the robot through the hoop again, but it veers off a second time... (full context)
Teamwork, Friendship, and Motivation Theme Icon
Mentorship Theme Icon
...hopeful about their chances. But the day before their departure, Fredi and Allan announce that Michael will not be joining them, since he hasn’t gotten his grades up in summer school.... (full context)