Tears of a Tiger

“He screamed for what seemed like a long time. Then it was real quiet.”

This quote explores the distortion of time. It only takes a few seconds to read the quote. However, the weight of time is heavy because it drags on for the characters. However, there is no indication of how long the event itself—the screaming—actually is.

“Is it my fault that Robbie is dead? I wasn’t drivin’. I wasn’t even drinkin’.”

Although it was Andy who drove the car when Robbie died, the fears and anxieties of the other passengers were not alleviated. B.J. is also grieving; he believes that he could have made different choices that would have saved Robbie.

“You can’t blame yourself forever, Andy. And if you had died instead of Rob, would you want him to be hurting like you are now?”

Coach Ripley reframes Andy’s grief and makes him face a different scenario. Instead of focusing on himself, the coach wants Andy to consider Robbie and how Robbie would feel in Andy’s shoes. By doing this, the coach provides a coping mechanism that Andy can use to heal.