Alfred is faced with a struggle inside himself to become a better person. Some street kids are after him for something he didnt even do. He always tells it like it is, is completely candid, and never sugarcoats the truth. Like alfred in the novel, boxers begin their careers as amateurs, receiving no money for fighting. For the most part, lipsyte uses a thirdperson narrative, limited to insight into alfred s mind. Alfred is influenced a lot by the characters henry, major, and mr. Boggio english 91 march 29 2012 the contender character influences the character alfred in the contender is influenced by many other characters in the book. He thinks of himself as a wouldbe champion, not a contender. Lipsytes occasional similes and metaphors are particularly apt. They are both intelligent, ambitious, and disciplined. What alfred goes through is not prettyhe gets beat up, bleeds, sweats, and vomits. The contender by robert lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book.
As the novel opens, alfred brooks, an african american seventeenyearol. Alfred looks restless, as he waits for the arrival of his good friend, james. He was a blackboy who had strong will to become a real boxer, the contender. The book s plot centers on a black seventeenyearold man named alfred brooks, a high school dropout living with aunt pearl and her three daughters in harlem, new york city. Alfred s friend henry influences him a lot in the book. Alfred brooks, in the contender by robert lipsyte is greatly shaped and defined by his environment. Cliffs notes on lipsytes the contender by stanley p. Alfred does not want to be just another good little slave, but he doesnt want to find himself in trouble with major and hollis either. James father was a drunk who did not take care of his son. What is alfred s original reaction to donatellis gym. The contender alfred is a very real, dynamic character. Alfred eventually transcends the crisis that begins with the party and ends, appropriately, in a conversation with mr. This is a sports fiction novel that tells a story of alfred brooks. The story of the novel revolves around alfred brooks, a seventeen years old black boy.
Last updated on october 26, 2018, by enotes editorial. In this chapter, lipsyte portrays alfred choosing to resist peer pressure and refusing to participate in the burglary of his employers grocery. The contender by robert lipsyte was first published in 1967. Alfred, a young black man in harlem, has recently dropped out of high school and works full time at a small local grocery store. The protagonist of the novel is a black seventeenyearold. So alfred begins going to donatellis gym, a boxing club in harlem that has trained champions. The chosen introduces the first book in the contender trilogy, an epic. The fight will be the climax of alfred s climb, just as, structurally, it is the climax of the novel. He reveals alfred s life primarily through his own eyes.
Griffin is no puncher, but the repeated blows feel like the stings of a hundred bees and leave alfred swollen and dazed. It follows black teenager alfred brooks, who lives with his aunt pearl and. Someones environment is the physical and mental conditions that surround them. The contender provides studies in both comparison and contrast. Lipsyte does a good job describing the characters and showing their emotional and physical feelings.
The contender by robert lipsyte study guide overall analysis character analysis alfred brooks. You have to start by wanting to be a contender, the man coming up, the man who knows theres a good chance hell never get to the top, the man whos willing to sweat and bleed to get up as high as his legs and his brains and his heart will take him. 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. Alfred brooks shows promise, but he has a long way to go. The spirit of life in harlem is clearly captured from the beginning. The contender by robert lipsyte essay, literature, the. Contrast alfred brooks at the beginning of the novel to alfred brooks at the end of the novel. Characters edit alfred brooks is a 17yearold african american male and the protagonist of the novel. Then her calmness makes him angry, for aunt pearl seems to be. A detailed description of the contender characters and their importance. The contenderblog 1 conflict college english with mrs. The contender is a 1967 novel by american writer and sports journalist robert lipsyte. The chief by robert lipsyte meet your next favorite book. Alfred is despondent and fantasizes about robbing the store himself.
Major leads hollis, sonny, and james on a raid of the grocery. Alfred notices other people out for a good time and questions the purpose of all the training he is doing. His eyes begin to sting and his stomach suddenly feels empty, but aunt pearls calm face temporarily calms him. However, james has already started on a path opposite alfreds. Alfred brooks is a black 17yearold high school dropout who lives with his aunt pearl in harlem in the mid1960s. Donatelli is the vehicle through which alfred changes and evolves as a person. Check out essay lab, which will help you crank through that essay in a. The protagonist of the novel is a black seventeenyearold man named alfred brooks, a high school dropout living with aunt. Character analysis alfred brooks alfred brooks is a black seventeenyearold high school dropout who lives with his aunt pearl and her three daughters in harlem.
Realism robert lipsyte portrays the setting of the book and his characters so realistically that the novel at times seems almost autobiographical. Free study guidethe contender conflictshort summary. Alfred brooks the contender essay writing help, character. Alfred brooks alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in t. In addition to his susceptibility to temptation, he is vulnerable to those weaknesses which everyone feelsloneliness, the need to fit in, wondering if one is good at anything, wondering whether one is special. It is a total contrast to the dingy quarters of harlem. Alfred is developing well and wins a fight that he could easily have lost, but he is more concerned that he might injure his opponent than he is with winning. Aunt pearl takes in her nephew alfred after he is orphaned. Near the end of the novel, alfred knows that james will be hiding in the. This character is a seventeenyearold black boy who lives in a seedy section of harlem. From the neighborhood he lives in to the friendships he has and breaks, it all effects how he is. Lipsytes writing style enhances the substance of his story in the contender.
His best friend is sinking further and further into drug addiction. Majors girlfriend, june, introduces alfred to her cousin arlene, a black girl with a blond wig, dizzying perfume, and an easy attitude. When james fails to appear at the appointed time, alfred goes to the club in search of him. Though they worked for white employers, they nurtured animosity against them and waited for an opportunity to rebel. With joan allen, gary oldman, jeff bridges, christian slater. 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. Alfred brooks the protagonist of the novel around whom the plot revolves. Alfred s character shaped by environment enviornment shapes character a persons environment isnt just the concrete things aroung them. Both boys have a change of heart in the course of the novel. Alfred prepares for his last fight, at parkway gardens in brooklyn, as he did the others, but he is noticeably more nervous. The brave by robert lipsyte meet your next favorite book. Boekverslag engels the contender door robert lipsyte 5e klas. Alfred thinks he spots major in the distance and runs across the street, but he realizes that the man he saw is not his adversary, and he feels ashamed.
The contender is the debut novel by american author and sports journalist robert lipsyte. Alfred grins as he bounds up the stairs to donatellis gym. Character analysis james as the novel opens, james mosely is alfreds lifetime best friend. Alfred brooks, the protagonist of the novel, lives in harlem in a little apartment with his aunt and nieces. Vice president, but information and disinformation about her past surfaces that threatens to derail her confirmation. A contender is, first and foremost, a man, an adult. Alfred is now proud to be on the road to becoming a boxer. During the book, alfred brooks, a seventeenyearold adolescent and the protagonist of the novel, develops from an indecisive youth into. During the book, alfred brooks, a seventeenyearold adolescent and the protagonist of the novel, develops from an indecisive youth into a confident young man. The envoirnment that someone is exposed to shape and defines hisher character. His father deserted the family when alfred was ten years old. The protagonist of the novel around whom the plot revolves. Alfred brooks this character is a seventeenyearold black boy who lives in a seedy section of harlem. Alfred brooks cliffsnotes study guides book summaries.
Alfred understands that he can be a contender in life as well as in the ring, but he must first finish what he has started and prove to himself that he is a contender chapter 19 alfred prepares for his last fight, at parkway gardens in brooklyn, as he did the others, but he is noticeably more nervous. One of the best young adult books i have ever read. The contender is a novel by robert lipsyte that was first published in read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Character analysis alfred brooks his father deserted the family when alfred was ten years old. This character is a very interesting individual that has major flaws. The contender the contender by robert lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book. On tuesday morning chapter 9, he tells her the truth. Before you can be a champion,you have to be a contender.
The book was definitely first person narrator because it was always alfred this and alfred that. Protagonist african american youth who has dropped out of. See a complete list of the characters in the contender and indepth analyses of alfred brooks, mr. This character is a quiet boy with a limp that he got when he was a young child and suffered from polio. From major, alfred eventually accepts half an orange soaked with vodka. Lipsyte explores a number of issues especially those that confront teenagersthrough alfred. King lear lord of the flies romeo and juliet the kite runner the tempest. Alfred works at epsteins grocery store and spends his evenings at the movies or walking through the streets thinking. Griffins gloves are a red blur tapping away at alfred s face, easy and steady as rain on a roof, pitterpat, pitterpat.
The contender is a comingofage novel whose protagonist, a black seventeenyearold high school dropout named alfred brooks, lives with his aunt pearl and her book summary my preferences. So alfred brooks is 20 years older than in the first book, and now he is a policeman, and he interacts with a young native american who has a great left hook and who has gotten mixed up with some bad people upon arrival in new york. But some street kids want to beat him up so alfred goes to donatellos gym to box in harlem to tran him for the champions. As the novel opens, james mosely is alfreds lifetime best friend. I think there is some situational irony when alfred first fought those two boxers. The contender, as the title suggests, is known as the possibility of someone becoming a champion and hence, this novel is a story of how the motivation to be a contender aroused in alfred and what happens from the point of him accepting his passion to the point where he actually becomes one. This book was written 24 years after the original, and lipsyte decided to stick with that time frame. Robert lipstyle named the book the contender because alfred brooks wanted to be a contender. It looks much different than last night, as halfnaked men and. Alfred does not want to be just another good little slave, but he doesnt wan. The months of training come into play as alfred is able to call on reserves of fitness and skill, and a beauty of a hook, to deck the opponent. Without consciously meaning to, alfred winds up in front of the building housing donatellis gym. The contender by robert lypsyte timeline timetoast timelines.
In the first chapters, alfred, who was orphaned at a young age, appears as a shy, restless youth who almost seems afraid of his own shadow. Alfred misses his best friend, james, and wants to get back together with him. On sundays, alfred would accompany his aunt and nieces to a nearby church and to aunt dorothys house on queens, with its clean, grassy streets lined with neat little houses. Free study guidethe contender by robert lipsytefree book.
To alfred, this is a poor excuse, because alfred has learned to combine his hope with some tough love and realistic effort. The contender major is the antagonist of the novel. Even then, near the point of death or imprisonment, james prefers to wallow in racial despair, blaming whitey for his problems. Donatelli, near the end of chapter 3, in his speech that begins, you have to start by wanting to be. During the book, alfred brooks, a seventeenyearold adolescent and the protagonist of the novel, develops from an indecisive youth into a confident. Alfred finds james in their secret cave at the park where they shared so many boyhood dreams. Summary and main characters of robert lipsytes the contender. The contender was an ala notable childrens book of 19401970 and the brave a 1992 ala best book for young adults. Alfred brooks alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in the book. Lipsyte is a master of imagery, and the imagery is especially powerful as he describes alfred s further descent and eventual resurrection. A detailed description and indepth analysis of alfred brooks. The primary antagonist of the novel, major leads the gang and confronts alfred until alfred sees him for the bully and coward that major really is who is james mosely james is alfred s best friend, james descends into drug addiction as alfred climbs toward maturity and overcomes obstacles. Synopsis alfred brooks, a seventeenyearold living in harlem, overcomes.
The book the contender is about a boy name alfred brooks he is in high school. The contender is a book about a young black boy named alfred brooks, growing up in a poor part of new york. Boekverslag van het boek the contender robert lipsyte voor het vak engels. The contender character comparisonscontrastsauthors style. He is delighted that alfred will be at the gym after work. Alfred is surprised at how comfortably she enters his arms to dance to the low, funky blues. The novel begins as alfred, the protagonist, waits for his. Alfred is confused and is in many ways lost, but through it all he tries his best. Alfred s mother died when he was very young, and his father left home, deserting him. It was because his parent had died since he was a little kid. Thanks for exploring this supersummary plot summary of the contender by robert lipsyte.
I think there is some situational irony when alfred first. Alfred stands a chance only after griffin wears himself out hitting alfred s face. It follows black teenager alfred brooks, who lives with his aunt pearl and her three daughters in the harlem borough of new york city. He is also a person who tries to cope with stress of being an outcast, being weak, and cant hold down anything. Sonny bear, the tough, teenaged hero of the brave, and his mentor, police sergeant alfred brooks hero of the contender return for the stunning conclusion to the awardwinning novels.
Alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in the book. Both of them are poor blacks who have unstable family lives. He undergoes many changes, both physical and emotional, and grows significantly throughout the length of the text. Donatelli, near the end of chapter 3, in his speech that begins, you have to start by wanting to be a contender. Hes a high school dropout and his grocery store job is leading nowhere. Alfred sees henry johnson but avoids him, too, because he is in no mood to express gratitude. And at some point, he even questions why he is still here. He lives with his aunt pearl and her three daughters in harlem, new york city. Alfreds father left when he was very young, and his mother died when he was. Donatelli asked henry about alfred, but before alfred can get any more information, henry is gone. Alfred s story parallels the major theme of the novel, which is stated most poignantly by the fight manager, mr. 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. Through much of the book, jeff wants to go to africa and make a fortune for himself as a businessman, while alfred wants to become a champion boxer.
It was about a struggle of a black boy to become a real boxer, the contender. He has flawsalmost fatal onesand sometimes acts in ways that can make us cringe. Jun 26, 20 the contender, by robert lipsyte, is the story of a young man named alfred, a highschool dropout trying to avoid the pitfalls of growing up on the streets of harlem. In the novels first chapter, james joins major and the gang in an attempted burglary of epsteins grocery. This organizations experienced researchers for topics about alfred brooks the contender have helped dozens of mba scholars across the globe by providing s seasoned, economical, ph. Alfred brooks the protagonist of the novel, alfred hopes to transcend the repressive atmosphere of harlem and find a worthwhile life for himself. 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.
In these few weeks, alfred s attitude slides from euphoria to dejection. Main character, high school dropout, works at a grocery store. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, supersummary offers high quality. He is unfailingly human, which is ultimately why his character is so compelling. Alfred is the protagonist, the main character around whom the action centers. Short plot chapter summary synopsis the novel opens on a friday night in the home of alfred brooks, a seventeenyearold black who lives in harlem with aunt pearl. Donatelli after alfred has, once more, climbed those symbolic stairs to the gym. The contender, written by robert lipsyte, is a novel about the protagonist, alfred brooks. Summary and main characters of robert lipsytes the. Jan 01, 2011 the contender shows the harlem of midtwentieth century, when the blacks were becoming restless. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, supersummary offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
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