The way he he describes all the equipment, the other people in the gym, and the conversations between everyone. Most recently, some street punks have started to harass alfred for something he didnt do. In the contender, there are two placesparts of new york this story takes place, which are harlem. The contender by robert lipsytethemestheme analysis. He undergoes many changes, both physical and emotional, and grows significantly throughout the length of the text. The contender is a young adult novel by robert lipsyte. His best friend goes to jail and when he gets out he turns into a drug addict. Do police today treat blackowned business any differently from whiteowned businesses. I would recommend this book to my friend because it is a high paced book and its about sports. It was published by harpercollins and has a total of 176 pages in the book. Gathering his courage, he starts going to donatellis gym, a neighborhood boxing club famous for training champions. What time period does the novel the contender take place.
There he learns its the effort, not the win, that makes the man that last desperate struggle to get back on your feet when you thought you were down for the count. When alfred stumbles into donatellis gym and begins training for boxing matches, he finds out that it takes much more than physical training to really become a contender. Donatelli also tells him that he must train hard every day at his gym, get a nutritious selection of food every day, and to get a good amount of sleep. So, alfred begins going to donatellis gym, a boxing club in harlem that has trained champions. The book is further unified by the constant presence of alfred, the central character and protagonist of the plot. The main character, alfred brooks, is a high school dropout that wasnts to learn how to box.
There, he learns its the effort, not the win that makes a man. Despite the apparent disorder, the gym runs by a strict system of honesty and effort. After the attempted robbery, one bystander grumbles, only reason police up here to watch out for them white stores p. The contender is the debut novel by american author and sports journalist robert lipsyte. Within the confines of the gym, donatelli and bud martin set and enforce the code.
Donatelli owner and head manager at the gym where alfred trains. He is the boss in his own gym, but he believes in giving people a second chance. The contender by robert lipsyte essay, literature, the. Donatelli meets them and takes them out for a special lunch.
His best friend is drifting behind a haze of drugs and violence, and now. 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. Of course, donatelli is speaking about life as well as boxing. He learns that it is the journey, and the blood, sweat, and tears that make a contender, not just winning b. The contender essays the contender is a book about a young black boy named alfred brooks, growing up in a poor part of new york. Chapter 6 introduces alfred, and the reader, to the world of donatelli s gym.
For those classes that have not yet read the book, the first. Lipsyte explores a number of issues especially those that confront teenagersthrough alfred. Now alfred feels not just powerless, but afraid and he wants to be able to walk down the street like a man. Damatos gym became donatellis gym in the novel, and damatos philosophies inspired the words of. His best friend struggling with drug addiction and his job isnt a career path. He values the process more than the result, the journey more than the arrival. This acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter robert lipsyte, the recipient of the margaret a. Donatelli, the manager of the gym, is a significant, positive influence in alfreds life. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The contender essay test 45 minimum sentences for each response. This book wasnt amazing but it was pretty good that is why i rated it a four out of five. Alfred is faced with a struggle inside himself to become a better person. The title of the book refers to the saying that before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender. Donatelli says that first, he must train a lot to be in the running for greatness a contender.
A contender is, first and foremost, a man, an adult. The main character, alfred, is a normal teenager in harlem, new york. Donatelli respects hard work, perseverance, and character more than raw talent. Donatelli hadnt given alfred the opportunity to be a contender, alfred would probably have just quit the gym and going there would have only been a waste. The owner of the gym, donatelli, surveys alfreds potential. Here alfred learns that boxing is a better path than gangs and drugs which his neighborhood is full of.
The book follows his development from an unsure youth to a selfconfident young man. Abandoned by his father and left an orphan after his mothers death, alfred brooks manages to survive due to his best friend james encouragement and his aunt pearls love. After they leave, alfred gets up, makes a cup of tea, and waits for henry to arrive to take him to the gym. Alfred does not want to be just another good little slave, but he doesnt wan. What does alfred consider doing towards the end of the book. The entire novel takes place over a few months and is largely set at aunt pearls house, donatellis gym, the park, and the boxing arena. For the true contender, the journey is more important than the arrival. Donatelli influences alfreds character is he gives alfred the opportunity to be a contender. Alfred lives in harlem with his aunt pearl, and works at a grocery store. Donatelli and other boxers and trainers teach him how to box. At a stage, when alfred is unsure of his image and surrounded by unruly elements, donatelli becomes his savior, encouraging the boy to think positively and act decisively to establish his identity in a harsh world. Most importantly, donatelli urges alfred to be a contender, in life as well as in boxing. Some street kids are after him for something he didnt even do. After lunch, henry and alfred go into manhattan, where they relax at spoons house and.
He works for the epsteins during the day and trains at donatellis gym in the evening. The contender by robert lipsyte, harpertrophy, 1967. Alfreds father deserted the family when alfred was ten years old. The contender study questions write a brief answer to each. Free study guidethe contender by robert lipsytefree book. Ala best of the best books for young adults ala notable childrens book new york public library books for the teen age.
Underneath his hard exterior, he has a tender heart that cares for his students. So alfred begins going to donatellis gym, a boxing club in harlem that has trained champions. Alfred is not looking for a purpose in life, and decides to join donatellis gym. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 127 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the contender and what it means. The contender is a comingofage novel whose protagonist, a black seventeenyearold 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 mid1960s. Lets now take a look at a summary of the contender. He learns that in order to be a contender you must train hard for long hours, but winning is the most important part of boxing. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Hes a highschool dropout working at a grocery store. He has been working at donatellis gym taking care of equipment.
Donatelli the owner and manager of the gym where alfred works out. He tells donatelli the man who runs the gym that he wants to be a somebody and a champion at boxing some day, donatelli tells him that before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender. It kept me interested the entire time i was reading it. The breakthrough modern sports novel the contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero.
The contender cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. In the book alfred the main character is a troubled young man that is a high school dropout. There he learns its the effort, not the win, that makes the boxerthat before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender. The book the the contender by robert lipstye was a decent book. Donatelli, affectionately called donatelli by most of the novels characters, is owner and manager of donatellis gym. Donatelli, along with boxers jelly belly and spoon, bring brooks to a boxing tournament at madison square garden to see willie streeter, mr.
This study guide consists of approximately 57 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the contender. Buy a cheap copy of the contender book by robert lipsyte. The breakthrough modern sports novel the contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero this acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter robert lipsyte, the recipient of the margaret a. Sometimes, it feels like we are at a crossroads, where everything is changing, and we dont know what we are doing. It helps greatly to imagine the scene in your head. Why does alfred think about joe louis and sugar ray robinson as he looks at donatellis gym. Donatelli tells alfred that a contender is willing to pay the price. How does entering donatellis gym differ from the first time. The title of this book is the contender and it was written by robert lipsyte. He will sweat and bleed to get as high as his talent, courage, and character will take him. He went through a lot of stuff throughout the book. The three steep flights of stairs to donatellis gym represent a long and uphill struggle to get somewhere.
He is five foot seven and weighs one hundred and twentyfour and a half pounds. Free study guide for the contender by robert lipsyte free booknotes. The novel is the story of his coming of age and struggling to succeed. The protagonist of the novel is a black seventeenyearold man named alfred brooks, a high school dropout living with aunt pearl and her 3. The contender chapter summaries flashcards quizlet. The contender is told in a 1st person dialogue, which hooked me into reading the whole book. Describe what alfred sees on his second visit to the gym. Boxing was always a blur to me, but author robert lipsyte made me feel like i was inside the ring of alfred brooks first fight. The contender the contender by robert lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book. Lipsyte does a good job describing the characters and showing their emotional and physical feelings. A major setting that lipsyte describes in the book would have to be donatellis gym.
This character is a seventeenyearold black boy who lives in a seedy section of harlem. This particular edition is in a mass market paperback format. This lesson plan is designed to be used with students who have finished reading the contender by robert lipsyte. Alfred brooks alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in the book. He decides to join a donatellis gym, a local gym that trains boxers. My opinion for the contender is that it is a great book. Alfreds journey throughout the book is much like those stairsdifficult to climb, easy to fall down, and sometimes seeming like the top is too far away. A summary of themes in robert lipsytes the contender. The contender setting character list character descriptions by robert lipsyte.
At the beginning of the novel, alfred only dreams of a life as an adult. This is a sports fiction novel that tells a story of alfred brooks. The three steep flights of stairs to donatelli s gym represent a long and uphill struggle to get somewhere. A summary of chapters in robert lipsytes the contender.
First, nothing is promised to anyone at donatellis gym or, we might infer, in life. Alfred stops at donatellis gym and finally goes up, ascending the three flights of stairs to the. Donatelli tells him that it is the process of becoming a champion that makes a man special. Robert lipsytes the contender is a great book and makes you feel like your really there. Free study guidethe contender by robert lipsytefree book noteschapter summary. For lipsyte, who had spent a great deal of time in the boxing world as a sportswriter for the new york times, the creation of the contender was a natural process. This is the kind of position alfred brooks is in at the beginning. You have to start by wanting to be a contender, the man coming up. Nicely written, the contender is a book that anyone can enjoy regardless of their opinion about boxing or even sports. Another reason is how they speak about black people. Gangs started showing up in the 1900s and the book was published in 1967. Donatelli tells alfred that he will always be there in the gym, and what happens next is up to alfred.
8 45 649 830 1237 455 720 1084 724 722 1341 1140 1489 516 111 237 73 229 1572 1409 164 478 1511 575 1175 549 302 1269 1250 830 832 1287 1132 1058