Bang The Drum Slowly (Tegwar)

Every game needs rules in order to ensure that everyone has a fair chance at succeeding in the game. However if fairness to all payers is not a necessity then no rules are needed. In Mark Harris's book "Bang the Drum Slowly" this theme is played throughout the book in everything from life itself to a game of cards. This theme is focused on two characters in the book Henry or Author and Bruce. These two guys are best friends and become closer when Henry finds out that Bruce has been diagnosed with the fatal Hodgkin's disease and might not have a full season left in him.

TEGWAR or The Exciting Game Without Any Rules is the game played in the book by Bruce and Henry Along with other players of the team and others that want to get in the game but can't. As a card game TEGWAR is an exercise of dominance. The only rule is that there are no rules and until a player acknowledges that concept, he has no chance of winning. Much like life there are no rules you get dealt a good hand some days, months, or years or you get dealt a shitty hand some days months, or years. You just have to realize that you can't always control what is going to be dealt to you. In the game TEGWAR some players are lucky and stay ahead. Just like in life some times things seem to be going great for you and nothing can seem to go wrong.

For an example of the game of life and TEGWAR. Henry has a successful career, a beautiful wife, a secure financial future and the ability to slip outside of the rules to make sure he receives whatever chance didn't bring him. Bruce on the other hand has no stable women, career or health. One with a good hand and one without just like in a game chance is you have to work with.

Throughout the book, Henry takes pity on Bruce helping him to maneuver though life by learning the rules of TEGWAR. As a pitcher for the New York Mammoths, Henry takes Bruce a catcher under his wing to protect Bruce from the smarter of life's players until he could compete himself. Bruce wasn't the smartest person and seemed to be very trusting of some people and was taken advantage of when ever somebody had the chance to do so. Henry got Bruce the position with the New York Mammoths by making it a clause in his contract that if they want him then they have to take Bruce as well.

Towards the end of the book the other catcher for the team Piny Woods starts singing on his guitar and playing old western song about a cowboy walking the streets of Laredo. It seems to be at this point that Henry realizes how truly fortunate he was to seemingly be winning at life. While his best friend Bruce wasn't winning at all. Henry fully absorbs how random life's triumphs and tribulations can really be. At this point, the book turns more towards establishing a sense of brotherhood between the