What is the text to world in Loser?

The meaning of success is a particularly important theme in the literature of wealthy and capitalistic societies, of which America is perhaps the world's most prominent example. In childhood, before success is measured by the attainment of riches, power, and fame, it is measured in school accomplishments. Athletic ability, high grades, good looks, and popularity are the measures of success in school. Students with none of these qualities have little chance of being considered successful, and might well be labeled nerds, geeks, or, as in Zinkoff's case, losers. This novel questions the validity of those measures of success, and offers an alternative definition. In so doing, it challenges basic assumptions that drive our society. In America, much lip service is given to the value of being kind and caring, but examples can be seen on all sides of people who achieve wealth, fame, and power by being aggressive and self-serving. Indeed, it could be argued that sacrificing for others is a fool's errand. In this novel, Jerry Spinelli questions whether athletic ability or even good grades should be used in assessing a young person's success as a human being. The argument he presents through the novel's action is that all competitive measures of success, which pit a person's skills or gifts against those of others, are inadequate tools. Success is not a quality that can be determined through competition. It is a standard of goodness that has nothing to do with, say, sports or money. Through his novel, Spinelli suggests that success is spiritual in nature. The true measures of a successful person are kindness, loyalty, and a loving attitude toward oneself and others.