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The Husky Clipper
The idea of “swing,” the state during which oarsmen row in perfect synchronicity (and also row most effectively), symbolizes the unity and bond of brotherhood between the nine American rowers at the 1936 Olympics. Swing is described as a kind of ideal state of harmony, one that can only be achieved when all the rowers trust and respect each other. The brotherhood and togetherness of “swing” is also implicitly contrasted to the murderous hatred and racism that motivated Hitler and the Nazis.
Swing Quotes in The Boys in the Boat
The The Boys in the Boat quotes below all refer to the symbol of Swing. 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 14
Quotes
As they flew down the last few hundred yards, their eight taut bodies rocked back and forth like pendulums, in perfect synchronicity. Their white blades flashed above the water like the wings of seabirds flying in formation. With every perfectly executed stroke, the expanse between them and the now exhausted Cal boys widened. In airplanes circling overhead, press photographers struggled to keep both boats in the frame of a single shot.
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Boys in the Boat LitChart as a printable PDF.
Swing Symbol Timeline in The Boys in the Boat
The timeline below shows where the symbol Swing appears in The Boys in the Boat. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
One of the most important concepts in rowing, Brown says, is the concept of “swing.” Swing is a moment in which all eight oarsmen are rowing in perfect unison, so...
(full context)
Chapter 13
...for Don Hume to pick up the stroke race slightly, and Washington rowed in perfect swing, winning the race by three boatlengths, and setting a new record for the course. Ulbrickson...
(full context)
Chapter 14
...varsity boys had been perfecting their strokes, to the point where they could row in swing without even trying—they knew they were in great shape for the regatta.
(full context)
...a higher rate—they were three boatlengths behind. Then, as if by magic, Washington settled into swing: the rowers seemed to be rowing with perfect efficiency. The boat moved into third, then...
(full context)
