crucible

Both are concerned with childhood traumas, and if Shteyngart isn’t explicitly borrowing their plots he borrows some of their gravitas, the sense that preteendom is a crucible for experiencing life’s various crises.

But having amped up the craziness and the stakes, Storer now appears to be more interested in exploring why so many people believe that an ever-roiling crucible is necessary to achieve greatness.

You know, the ones conditioned to believe that honesty, fairness and yes, the rule of law pertain to everyone and that sports should be the crucible of good character that defines us forever?

But Smith was raised, from a young age, to weather that sort of crucible on the court.

"Without a doubt, the miners' strike is the crucible moment of my life," said Price.