Slugfest

As the title of the book, Slugfest is the element around which the novel revolves. The remedial, mandatory summer-school class illustrates The Importance of Context in Determining Fairness. While each of the kids in Slugfest is there for a different reason, none of them feels as though it is fair to be forced to complete gym class. For Yash, this unfairness stems from the fact that the school previously gave him permission to miss gym. By contrast, Cleo missed too much school to pass, and Kaden skipped gym to avoid being taunted in the locker room. Regardless of the reason, the kids don’t want to be in Slugfest, which shows through their disdain for the kid games that Mrs. Finnerty makes them play. Thus, Slugfest also represents how the kids grow, both as individuals and as a team. Yash leads this growth, though he doesn’t realize it until the end of the book. When he chooses to make the most of being stuck in summer school by training for football outside of class, the other kids also get involved for something to do. As the kids realize that they enjoy working together, they start to take an active interest in physical education, and when the slugs decide to participate in the tournament, they become the team that is fully fleshed out by the football games they play.