Coach Carter as a Tool for Therapeutic Development

Though based on a true story, there are many elements of Coach Carter that can be seen as directly related to standard elements of fiction. The titular Coach himself, played compellingly by Samuel L. Jackson, is something of a Byronic hero with his harsh and unlovable exterior and a depth of conviction that does not admit for any real discussion and even excludes politeness quite often, and the series of triumphs and setbacks experienced by many of the characters is typical in many ways of the hero's journey. Cruz especially must go on a complex inner journey in order to find himself and to accept and even to acknowledge his potential, his motives, and his fears. The scene in which he finally admits to Coach Carter that his deepest fear is that he will fail to live up to his potential is...
[ View Full Essay]