Is the contender fiction or nonfiction?
This acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter Robert Lipsyte, the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in YA fiction, is the story of a young boxer in Harlem who overcomes hardships and finds hope in the ring on his path to becoming a contender.
What is the theme of The Contender?
The major theme of the novel is the difficulty of growing up and finding an identity. At the beginning of the novel, Alfred Brooks presents himself as a timid boy who is afraid to stand up for himself and who has no vision for his future.
What is the contender novel about?
The Contender is a coming-of-age novel whose protagonist, a black seventeen-year-old high school dropout named Alfred Brooks, lives with his Aunt Pearl and her three daughters in Harlem, a predominantly African American neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, in the mid-1960s.
What is the tone in the Contender?
toneThe tone in the book is serious, and it is sometimes dismal and graphic in description. setting (time)The book takes place in relatively modern times, perhaps within the decade of the 1970s.
How much does Alfred weigh in the Contender?
He carries himself in a military manner and is very businesslike, even brusque, as he first measures Alfred (five feet seven and three-quarter inches tall) and then weighs (124 1/2 pounds). Donatelli tells Alfred exactly what to expect if he tries to become a fighter.
Why is Alfred a contender?
Donatelli tells Alfred that a contender is willing to pay the price. He will “sweat and bleed” to get as high as his talent, courage, and character will take him. … Although he has dropped out of high school, Alfred has accepted responsibility in life. Unlike James and the gang members, he has a job.
What lesson might Alfred learn from training as a boxer?
Alfred demonstrates a will and determination that will not allow him to simply quit. What he learns about himself through his boxing training is that he is the kind of person who does not want to quit, which is perhaps his greatest success of all.
What is the setting of the contender?
The novel is set in Harlem, New York, the same place that forms the background for many of the novels of reputed black writers like Richard Wright and James Baldwin. The Contender shows the Harlem of mid-twentieth century, when the blacks were becoming restless.
Who is Aunt Pearl in The Contender?
The novel is set in Harlem, New York, the same place that forms the background for many of the novels of reputed black writers like Richard Wright and James Baldwin. The Contender shows the Harlem of mid-twentieth century, when the blacks were becoming restless.
What news does Aunt Pearl give Alfred about James?
What news does Aunt Pearl give Alfred about James? The police were at Aunt Pearl’s looking for James. He broke into the Epstein’s store through the front window.
What gift is Alfred given before his fight?
At the ring, Alfred meets Donatelli who tells him that Henry will stand in the corner during the fight. They get Alfred ready for the fight, dressing him in a new terrycloth robe with his name on the back.
What does the cave symbolize in the Contender?
The Hideout in Central Park
Alfred and James’s old hideout represents their past solidarity and brotherhood. It also represents a time when they were younger, when they were just kids whose lives were not nearly as complicated as they are now. The hideout is a throwback to childhood and to feeling safe and secure.
Who does Alfred work for in the Contender?
Alfred is a 17-year-old living in Harlem, NY. His father left when Alfred was ten, and his mother died three years later, so Alfred lives with his Aunt Pearl and her 3 daughters. His life has been somewhat routine since he dropped out of high school and started working at the Epstein family’s grocery store.
What happens in chapter 4 of the contender?
Alfred accompanies his three little cousins and Aunt Pearl as they walk to church. … At the end of the day, Alfred, Aunt Pearl, and the girls return to Harlem. After Aunt Pearl and the girls fall asleep, Alfred takes Aunt Pearl’s alarm clock from her room and sets it for 5:30 a.m. This chapter presents sharp contrasts.
How old is Alfred Brooks in The Contender?
Characters. Alfred Brooks is a 17-year-old African American male and the protagonist of the novel. He recently dropped out of high school and appears to be indecisive about the direction of his life. Orphaned at a young age, he lives in Harlem with his Aunt Pearl and his three cousins.
Where does Alfred Brooks work?
Alfred (Al) Brooks is the Head of JP Morgan Chase Commercial Real Estate.
Why do jelly and Pete argue?
Why do Jelly and Pete argue? It was because Pete wanted Jelly to “use his trunks”. Why does Alfred decide to go to the clubroom? It was because he wanted to find James.
Who is Alfred’s boss?
Mr. Epstein. Alfred’s boss, whose relationship with Alfred is mired when James, Major, and Hollis try to break into the store.
How would you describe Alfred in the Contender?
Alfred is a very real, dynamic character. He has flaws—almost fatal ones—and sometimes acts in ways that can make us cringe. He is unfailingly human, which is ultimately why his character is so compelling.
What does Mr Donatelli recommend for Alfred?
Most importantly, Donatelli urges Alfred to be a contender, in life as well as in boxing. In both arenas, Donatelli tells Alfred he should let the championships come if they will, but he should not dwell on them. Set the goal for each day’s work, not for the final result.
Who is Bud Martin in the Contender?
Clarence “Bud” Martin Donatelli’s top assistant, he supports and critiques Alfred. Henry Johnson Disabled by a childhood bout with polio, Henry is a rising apprentice trainer with special devotion to Alfred.
Who does red have a fight with and why the Contender?
Red started a fight with Bud because he wanted his hand wrapped and a head guard. He punched Bud, which did nothing but infuriate Bud. Bud punched Red back 100x harder.
What advice did Mr Epstein give Alfred about boxing?
Epstein tells Alfred to give it up and says that these days one cannot make a living being a boxer anymore—that in effect, the sport has been ruined. He attributes the sport’s demise to television and to the fact that there are too many crooked boxers and managers.
Who is Willie Streeter in the Contender?
The Contender Character Review Chapter 1-8
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Jelly Belly | a fighter from the gym who eats a lot |
| Willie Streeter | trained by Mr. Donatelli, lost the big fight to Junius Becker |
| Lou Epstein | Alfred’s Boss |
| Bill Witherspoon | School Teacher |
Who is Willie Streeter?
Willie Streeter, FSC Facilitator, had previously been in prison and was a struggling father of five children prior to coming to Fathers’ Support Center and enrolling in the Family Formation Class in 2012. He is also now a facilitator for the Fathers’ Rap Program. …
Where does Alfred go to look for James what happened to James?
James does not show up, and Alfred goes looking for him, eventually finding him in the company of three neighborhood hoodlums, Major, Sonny, and Hollis.
What did Mr Donatelli tell Alfred after his third fight Why?
Donatelli takes Alfred to the gym and tells him that it is time to retire because Alfred does not have “the killer instinct” and that he can tell Alfred does not really enjoy fighting.
Why does Mr Donatelli want to cancel the fight between Alfred and Hubbard?
Why does Donatelli want to cancel Alfred’s fight against Hubbard? It was because Alfred could get hurt from him. What happens during the fight?
What happens to Alfred when he reaches his street in the Contender?
What happens to Alfred when he reaches his street? He crashes onto the pavement and Sonny started bleeding really bad. How come Alfred does not ask the police officers for help? It was because he didn’t know about the alarm, and then he fainted.
How much does Alfred weigh in four months how much weight has he gained by training?
How much does Alfred weigh? In four months, how much weight has he gained by training? He weighed 124 1/2 in Chapter 3, but now he’s weighs 134 3/4 pounds, which is 10 1/4 pounds more than earlier.
What opportunity was offered to Aunt Pearl when she was 17?
Back at the apartment after the fight, Aunt Pearl shows concern over Alfred’s injuries but reveals that she, too, had a dream when she was seventeen — to join the chorus at the Apollo Theater — but her mother would not allow it.
What does Aunt Pearl think about Alfred’s boxing?
What does Aunt Pearl think about Alfred’s boxing? She thinks he should put his energies into a less dangerous activity.
Who brought Alfred home?
James is in jail. Alfred awakes in Aunt Pearl’s apartment and learns from Aunt Pearl that Henry Johnson found Alfred wandering around the previous night, beaten but not permanently injured, and that Henry and Henry’s father carried him home.
What happens in chapter 6 of the contender?
Chapter 6 introduces Alfred, and the reader, to the world of Donatelli’s Gym. Despite the apparent disorder, the gym runs by a strict system of honesty and effort. Within the confines of the gym, Donatelli and Bud Martin set and enforce the code.
What happens in Chapter 7 of the Contender?
Chapter 7. Alfred and Henry go to the Madison Square Garden to see a fight. One of Mr. Donatelli’s most promising boxers, Willie Streeter, is fighting an important match.
What happened in Chapter 5 of the contender?
Alfred runs early in the park until two policemen step out from behind the bushes and tell him to stop. They ask Alfred why he is running at this time of the morning, when he tells them he is in training for boxing, they do not believe him.
Who is the antagonist in the Contender?
Major is the antagonist of the novel. He represents the cynical, repressive, manipulative side of Harlem that Alfred initially fights to escape and ultimately learns to overcome.