In this interview, teenage wrestler Alana celebrates her recent victory at the U14 division of the US Women's Nationals, explaining the tournament’s structure, weight classes, and the significance of winning for future representation at the World Championships and college scouting. She reflects on her progression from a 4th‑place finish last year, her upcoming final year in the age division, and the networking opportunities with college coaches. The conversation then shifts to a literary analysis of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist (chapter 40 onward). Alana shares her reactions to the suspenseful scenes, evaluates the moral complexity of the character Nancy—balancing her criminal background with her innate goodness—and discusses why she perceives Fagin as unequivocally evil while remaining uncertain about Sykes. She draws parallels between the exploitation depicted in the novel and contemporary human‑trafficking issues, noting modern resources like airport hotline signs, and expresses uncertainty about how to help those in similar situations. The interview concludes with plans to finish reading the book by the following Sunday.
Chapters
alarm, but—
Well, first, big congrats on the U14 victory. So tell me about it.
Thank you. Okay, so the tournament I did this past weekend, a couple days ago, was the women's— US Women's Nationals. So it's a really, really big tournament for women that happens every year. And depending on your age class, you get— if you win, you get to either represent the US on different stages or, or you just win, which is what I did. But it's still a cool victory. I competed in the 14U and U15 brackets, and in 14U I was able to win my division, which I'm very happy about because last year I placed 4th. Um, it's also my last year in the division because I'm about to age out of it. So that was a big accomplishment for me. In U15, I did not place, but I got a couple very good matches in and a lot of experience. And next year is my last year in the division, so I'm hoping to win, win it next year. If you win U15, you get to represent the US at the World Championships later this year, so I hope that I'll be able to do that, and I'm excited to come back next year.
That's terrific. Big congrats. And presumably there are weight classes?
Yes, yes, there are.
Got it. So there's a U14 winner and then a U15 winner within each weight class, then those go up to the international. Is it just the winner that goes to international, or do second and third also go?
It's just the winner that, um, that goes. But I believe, or if you get second or third at, um, really any weight or age class above 14u, I think, um, there is some kind of, um, reward that comes along. Like, I've heard different people say that you're getting invited to camps and stuff like that. Oh, and another good thing about tournaments like this, and this specifically this one, is that, um, everyone has told me that lots of college coaches go there either to scout or to support their own women or, um, their own team. So it's a great place to network.
Well, big—
and put yourself out there.
Yeah, big, big congrats. That's impressive. Um, Alana, world champ— or a national champion, not yet world champion. We'll go for that next time.
No, yeah.
Cool. Well, yeah, I got up through chapter 40 in Dickens. Um, what are your thoughts on this chunk of Oliver Twist? Like it? Not like it? Easier to read? Harder to read?
I like it because part of it made me happy for Oliver, and I like it in other ways because it was, uh, or because I was right in this, in thinking that Nancy was going to be a good character. Um, And there were some parts that, like, reminded me of, like, a horror movie, I guess. Like, um, just because it got a little suspenseful and Oliver's in this happy, safe place, and then he looks through his window at night and Fagin and Monks was there. It's just a little scared me, or a little scary. Yeah, but I liked it.
Well, there have been lots of movies. I, I don't— if I've seen an Oliver Twist movie, it's not been for many years, but you can see why because it's a very dramatic sort of thing. Um, yeah, Nancy, you are correct, Nancy turns out to be a good person. Um, what would you say motivates Nancy?
To be a good person or to be a criminal?
Well, actually, that's a really good question, both sides. What motivates her to be a good person and then what motivates her to be a criminal?
Um, I'm gonna start with criminal because she's been a criminal for a long time. I think that she was either born into it or like at an early age was a street kid, and they use that term a bunch. I think it's like homeless kids who are like in, or more specifically, in Fagin Circle, like just in our story. Um, and that's really all she ever knew. And even though she may have been a good person if she wasn't a street kid, she is, then that's just how it turned out. Um, and she's got all these relationships with like Sykes, who's like apparently her like boyfriend or whatever, and then with Fagin because Fagin's good at controlling people. So she can't really escape even though she went to meet Rose, that— and Rose was like, oh, you can like stop and come with me, and she was like, no, I can't. She has those attachments, which is interesting because I probably would have fled no matter what. Better here than there. But, uh, and then to be a good person, probably because she recognizes all of the attachments and bad things that she's attached to and wants to be something else, but it's like has kind of given up on being something else because she's so deeply into it. Um, but she still wants to be a good person anyway, so she helps Oliver, um, from getting beaten that one time a couple chapters ago, and now she's trying to help them out and help good out a little bit here.
No, fair enough. So do you— is maybe to summarize, maybe she's a good person because she, I don't know, has a good heart or a good soul or something like that, and she's a criminal because Two things, it sounds like— relationships and habit. Is that accurate?
I think so. I'm not sure. I'm not entirely sure if it's habit because I feel like she would change it if she could, but I thought that that's the only way I know how to describe it right now.
But Rose— why doesn't she accept Rose's offer to help her out of it?
I think she's too afraid of Sykes and Fagin specifically, I think. And she is too afraid of what will happen to her if they find out, rather than, um, wanting to risk it for a better life.
But you'd say— you say that you would definitely risk it for a better life, even if um, these horrible people might do things to you?
Uh, I mean, I can't say anything for sure because I haven't done it, but I've— and I, I don't really know like how much she's afraid of sex and fagging, but I can tell it's kind of a lot. So I feel like if I had go— but, uh, okay, so I feel like if I had gone all the way to meet Rose and like, um, sacrifice a lot and hid under Sykes and Fagan noses, then I would probably end up going. But if I was too afraid to do any of that, I would have stayed, I think. But it just depends, I guess.
Got it. And do you think that you know enough about the world as it is today that— do you think there are people stuck in similar situations situations today as Rosa stuck in, in Dickens, in this novel?
Yeah, I bet. I think there's a very high chance. I think so.
Is there anything that we can do to help these people, or people are just stuck wherever they are?
I don't know what I can do to help specifically. I've never been in that situation. And I don't know, and there's probably lots of different versions of it. That makes sense.
Oh, totally.
Yeah, but I mean, in the bathrooms in the airports, there's always like, oh, if you're being trafficked or you need help, call this number. But that's not really— maybe people don't feel like that's a direct way to do it, or like they still won't be able to escape or something. I'm not sure.
Would you say that Sykes and Fagin are evil people, or just they got stuck? They got stuck, or, um, yeah, are they, are they kind of— could they change and become good people?
Not too sure about Sykes, but not— I think Fagin is evil. I think he's very evil.
Um, and not disagreeing, but why would you say Fagin's definitely evil and you're not sure about Sykes?
Uh, well, just talking about Sagan, I feel like I've kind of characterized him as like someone who likes to manipulate and control people. Um, like just for example with Oliver, he starts out in the beginning of the book acting all nice and then it's like secretly teaching him how to become a criminal. And then once Oliver finds out and realizes that Fagin is a bad person. He knows he's a bad person and he just like, you know, locks him up and isolates him, probably so that he'll like want human contact and like will talk with anybody, you know what I mean? And I just feel like that happens throughout the book with like all of the different characters except for the ones who don't talk to him.
Yeah, um, no, lots, lots going on there. Um, well, how about we finish the, finish the book for next Sunday? Does that work for you?
Yes, that sounds great.
Okay, um, yeah, in which case, again, big congrats, and we'll see you next Sunday.
