Question

It was Sean's first day at a new high school. Most of the students had been nice to him, until he got into gym class. The coach had assigned two captains, Mike and Malik, and they were picking teams from the boys in Sean's class. As Mike and Malik made their picks, it became pretty clear to Sean who was popular and who was not. Since Sean was short for his age, Mike and Malik just assumed that Sean could not play basketball. As Mike and Malik's choices dwindled, Sean still remained amongst an ever-slimming pool of struggling athletes. Now there were only two students left: Sean and another kid who seemed nice but was reading a book. Mike and Malik joked about who was going to get stuck with whom, and then Mike made his last pick. It was not Sean. Sean sighed and reluctantly joined Malik's team. As soon as the game began, Mike became aware of the error that he had made. Sean quickly stole the ball from him and ran it back for a layup. "The new kid got lucky," Mike remarked, but it soon became clear that Sean had more going for him than luck. What Sean lacked in height, he made up for in speed, and he continued to dominate the action on the court for the remainder of the game. With Sean's blazing speed and crazy crossovers, Malik's team devastated Mike's, and that was the only time that Sean would be last pick at that high school.

What is the theme of the story? Remember the theme is the moral or lesson learned, and it is stated in a complete sentence.

Answer 1

The theme of the story is that true worth and ability cannot be judged by appearance alone, as inner qualities and actions speak much louder.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theme of the story revolves around the idea that initial judgments may often be misleading, and that inner qualities such as talent and determination are more significant than superficial traits like appearance or popularity. Sean's experience in the gym class is illustrative of the lesson that skill and ability cannot be judged solely on external factors such as height. When Sean was underestimated due to his height, he proved his worth through his excellent performance on the basketball court. This suggests the moral that one's true value is revealed through their actions and perseverance, rather than first impressions or physical characteristics. It also reflects the idea that resilience and hard work can transform others' perceptions and lead to success.

Answer 2

I would say don't judge people based on their apperance, just because Sean was short doesn't mean he's not able to play basketball.

"Since Sean was short for his age, Mike and Malik just assumed that Sean could not play basketball."

I hope this helps!