Sunny

Darryl Lancaster is Sunny’s father. For much of the novel, Darryl pressures Sunny to run because his mother couldn’t “run her race” (90). While his intent is for Sunny to feel connected to his mother via running, Daryl’s close scrutiny of Sunny’s performance pushes him away. Darryl’s expectations create a wedge between himself and Sunny, who fears letting Darryl down. Moreover, Darryl refuses to be vulnerable in front of Sunny, even though Sunny knows he cries often. Sunny learns to not even try to ask his father if he is okay. When he did as a child: “he yelled at me [...] It was like my father's throat had become a revved motor [...] as if he had become something that would run me over” (80). Darryl projects the anger and resentment of his loss onto Sunny, who learns to not bother Darryl with his own emotions and thoughts though he needs support.

The distance Darryl creates between himself, and his son is a result of his own maladaptive coping mechanisms in the wake of losing his wife. Darryl is a planner by nature, and this identity was compromised by his wife dying in childbirth. Darryl’s growth throughout the text is as important as Sunny’s because it creates space for Sunny to grow into the person he wants to be. Darryl understands that his actions have harmed Sunny and strives to make amends and be a more present father.

Darryl shows this willingness to grow and change in Chapter 8. Sunny admits that he is scared to perform poorly in the discus throw at the meet. Darryl becomes serious and tells Sunny: “that when I step into that circle, and I do that weird spin, and I let that discus go, don’t think about him, or the team, or even my mother. He told me to let it go for me” (145). This statement is a profound change from how he treated Sunny as a runner and shows that Darryl has realized that he cannot push Sunny to be someone he does not want to be. This frees Sunny to discover and explore his identity, but it also frees Darryl from the weight of his own expectations. It enables Darryl to process and cope with the fact that life has not turned out how he planned, but that it is easier to cope with unexpected changes when he leans on others and allows others to lean on him. 

Aurelia is Sunny’s homeschool teacher and “best friend” (123). She was also Sunny’s mother’s best friend, so at times Sunny views Aurelia as a stand-in for the mother he never knew. In a diary entry addressed to his mother, Sunny writes that “sometimes when I’m with her, when we’re in the car, I look over and pretend she’s you” (123). Aurelia is a consistent figure in Sunny’s life who supports him unconditionally and helps him explore his identity outside of running.

Aurelia shows that identities are not immutable. Although she struggled with drug addiction in the past, with the help of Sunny’s mother she is now 20 years sober. She teaches Sunny how to take charge of your own life and own your decisions. She encourages Sunny to write in his diary again and reminds him that “whatever I write down don’t have to make sense so long as it’s really me. Really my brain and heart stuff” (5). Her encouragement of Sunny’s interest in dance not only brings Sunny happiness but a renewed sense of himself and a connection to his mother, who also danced.

Aurelia marks this connection at Sunny’s first track meet as a discus thrower: “Aurelia pulled out a green marker, grabbed me by the wrist, and drew a star on my forearm. Where my mother’s was” (154). She puts the star on his arm as a reminder of his mother and as a good luck symbol. Aurelia teaches Sunny that “everything is moving [...] even the things that aren’t are, because the world is moving [...] so everything is changing constantly. Her, me, Darryl [...] And that somehow everything is still connected” (84). This helps Sunny learn that even when people are far away or even gone, they still are connected, and that people’s identities are not fixed. Everyone is constantly changing, but they can remain connected to those around them. This is important for Sunny to learn as he navigates his shifting identity from a runner to a discus thrower and as he and his father renew their relationship.