Community

Throughout Brothers on Three, the author uses his time with the Arlee townspeople in order to explore the transformative power of community. In the prologue, “I’ll Be There,” Streep introduces the reader to the text’s overarching thematic interests by presenting images and scenes of the Arlee community. In one such scene, he describes a game where “the Warriors had blitzed their opponents” (5). Afterwards, one of the senior Warrior teammates, Ivory, says, “We’re not just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for this community. And specific members of the community” (5, Streep’s italics). Ivory’s words encompass the Arlee Warriors' understanding of and love for the members of their community. The game of basketball not only connects the teenagers to one another, but grants them a means of connecting with their families and friends.

Over the course of the year that Streep spends in Arlee, Montana...