Fake Skating

The novel uses hockey to symbolize identity, performance, and belonging in a community that prizes athletic achievement. At first, Southview’s obsession with hockey makes Dani feel like an outsider. She notes, “Hockey was apparently interesting to everyone in Southview except for me” (77). The sport dominates the social landscape of both the high school and the larger community. Her lack of interest in the sport is tied to her broader view of athletes; in her experience, they are often overconfident and self-centered, and to her, hockey represents the social hierarchies and unpleasant personality types that she has learned to avoid. However, as she develops positive new experiences at Southview, hockey suddenly becomes a point of connection for Dani, particularly when she takes on the role of team manager and observes Alec in action. Her growing interest in the sport also offers a path for her to bond with Mick, who harbors deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for hockey.

Alec plays hockey “like his life was at stake and the only way he was going to see tomorrow was if he beat the other guy to the puck” (197). In his mind, hockey is not merely a game; it is a source of identity and purpose.