And it occurs to me, watching how smoothly he climbs hand over hand and remembering how he looked running with his arms down to his side and with the wind pulling his mouth back and his teeth showing and all, it occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner. Doesn't he always keep up with me on my trots? And he surely knows how to breathe in counts of seven 'cause he's always doing it at the dinner table. . . . And I'm smiling to beat the band 'cause if I've lost this race, or if me and Gretchen tied, or even if I've won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.

Question

Given the theme “Something good can come from not getting what you want,” which evidence provides the best support?

“watching how smoothly he climbs hand over hand”
“Raymond would make a very fine runner.”
“Doesn’t he always keep up with me on my trots?”
“I can . . . begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.”

Answer 1

The best evidence that supports the theme “Something good can come from not getting what you want” is:

“I can . . . begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.”

This statement illustrates how the narrator finds a positive outcome (becoming a coach) despite not achieving their initial goal (winning the race). It emphasizes the idea that even when things don't go as planned, new opportunities and realizations can arise.