The Contender By Robert Lipsyte Analysis

The Contender is a story written by Robert Lipsyte, the story is about a boy named Alfred who is a highschool dropout with a dead-end job. Alfred wants to make something of himself and decides to do boxing because he feels that he might enjoy it. Alfred starts going to Donatelli’s gym and Aunt Pearl finds out about this. Aunt Pearl addresses her concerns and Alfred defends his career choice by saying that Mr. Donatelli cares about the people he trains. Aunt pearl respects his career choice but wishes it was on something else. After experiencing boxing, Alfred decides that it is not really for him and quits. And as a result of all this Alfred grows as a person and helps his friend James out of the hole he is in Coming of age is essentially teens growing into adulthood, choosing their own careers, and finding their passion in life. Role models can play a huge role into a coming of age such as if one person is behaving in a certain way and
Alfred has a dead-end job, highschool dropout, and a friend who is going in the wrong direction, so Alfred tries boxing to see if it is his calling. Throughout this story we follow Alfred who is growing and maturing as he is experiencing boxing. Alfred quits boxing because he has experienced it and it is not his niche in life. Now that Alfred has matured due to his boxing experience he is starting to help others out of the hole they are stuck in. The first is his friend James who goes back into the place where they have childhood memories and this place of innocence. And this final quote in the book “Carefully, Alfred guided him over the rocks and the bushes and the new snow, toward the lights of the avenue.” Basically explained that Alfred has overcome his challenges and is now guiding James into the bright future over all the “rocks, bushes, and new snow” which is all the drugs and