Mid-Strut

"I just wanna hold you, he keeps saying, as she shrieks into the night. He wishes he could let her go, but he cant, for she has become a symbol to himhis only escape from the changes in his life, changes that reflect the larger changes in all of America at this chaotic time.

Arnie has lost his job, having been fired for heroic behavior. The repercussions of this incident echo throughout the rest of the book.

He has also lost his music, his favorite radio station is now playing rock n roll instead of the sweet old tunes of his courtship days.

For all he knows, he may be losing his wife as well as the steel industry that has been the heart of his town since he was born. And so he seeks relief by immersing himself in the exploits of Joe Namaththe son he might have had. He is another Western Pennsylvania steel town boy, who is about to make his debut as a pro football quarterback.

What happens to Arnie after his tangling with the majorette is unexpected, heart-wrenching, and in its surprising way, miraculous.