Carl Deuker's Gym Candy Cheating

There is always a temptation to cheat if it does not appear that one is cheating. In Gym Candy by Carl Deuker, there is a young boy named Mick Johnson. Mick is a football star. He has always been ahead of the game when it comes to the field. However, not so much in the weight room. His drive is unparalleled. The problem is that he will do anything to win. Mick’s experiences starkly alter his body and the way he sees his love for the game of football. To illustrate, when Mick’s steroids start to kick in, not only does his body start to modify, but so does his mind. All through Mick’s life, he has been very empathetic and full of compassion. The pills have altered his outlook. “He was reaching down to pick up my books. Instead of letting him …show more content…

Thus, in this example, Mick was taken over by rage. He states that he knew he was acting irrational and that he wanted to stop, but he continued. He could not help it. The pills made him carry on. If Mick had never started on steroids, he would not have had these kinds of episodes. The pills not only transformed his body, but they also affected his mind. Particularly, Mick is getting tired of the unpleasant side effects that the pills are creating for him, especially the pesky zits that he has been getting on his chest and back. He has been thinking for a while about taking what his trainer, Peter, takes, which is an injection made up of steroids. The injection is an alternative to the pills Mick has been taking. He is inclined to do this because Peter has no obvious negative side effects like Mick does. Mick eventually gives in to the temptation. “For a moment we both stood, neither of us speaking. Then I said it all. ‘I want to do a real stack’”(Deuger 184). Therefore, this is a prime example of how the steroids have hooked Mick. Steroids are not addictive drugs to the point where one goes through withdrawal; however, if someone likes the results that they get from using them to a certain extent, it can be