Donatelli gym the contender book

His best friend struggling with drug addiction and his job isnt a career path. Donatelli, affectionately called donatelli by most of the novels characters, is owner and manager of donatellis gym. You have to start by wanting to be a contender, the man coming up. Describe what alfred sees on his second visit to the gym. Free study guide for the contender by robert lipsyte free booknotes. The title of this book is the contender and it was written by robert lipsyte. Within the confines of the gym, donatelli and bud martin set and enforce the code. Some street kids are after him for something he didnt even do. 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 essays the contender is a book about a young black boy named alfred brooks, growing up in a poor part of new york. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the contender and what it means. Donatelli tells alfred that a contender is willing to pay the price. A major setting that lipsyte describes in the book would have to be donatellis gym. Alfred stops at donatellis gym and finally goes up, ascending the three flights of stairs to the. He undergoes many changes, both physical and emotional, and grows significantly throughout the length of the text. Now alfred feels not just powerless, but afraid and he wants to be able to walk down the street like a man. The main character, alfred brooks, is a high school dropout that wasnts to learn how to box. Sometimes, it feels like we are at a crossroads, where everything is changing, and we dont know what we are doing. Donatelli and other boxers and trainers teach him how to box.

The owner of the gym, donatelli, surveys alfreds potential. The contender is a young adult novel by robert lipsyte. Lets now take a look at a summary of the contender. 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. Buy a cheap copy of the contender book by robert lipsyte. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The contender by robert lipsyte essay, literature, the. The contender chapter summaries flashcards quizlet. The breakthrough modern sports novel the contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero. Nicely written, the contender is a book that anyone can enjoy regardless of their opinion about boxing or even sports.

Free study guidethe contender by robert lipsytefree book. The title of the book refers to the saying that before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender. For the true contender, the journey is more important than the arrival. This acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter robert lipsyte, the recipient of the margaret a.

Of course, donatelli is speaking about life as well as boxing. What does alfred consider doing towards the end of the book. This book wasnt amazing but it was pretty good that is why i rated it a four out of five. Most recently, some street punks have started to harass alfred for something he didnt do. His best friend goes to jail and when he gets out he turns into a drug addict. First, nothing is promised to anyone at donatellis gym or, we might infer, in life. He decides to join a donatellis gym, a local gym that trains boxers.

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. It helps greatly to imagine the scene in your head. How does entering donatellis gym differ from the first time. 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. This particular edition is in a mass market paperback format. I would recommend this book to my friend because it is a high paced book and its about sports.

After they leave, alfred gets up, makes a cup of tea, and waits for henry to arrive to take him to the gym. The book is further unified by the constant presence of alfred, the central character and protagonist of the plot. Donatelli influences alfreds character is he gives alfred the opportunity to be a contender. Do police today treat blackowned business any differently from whiteowned businesses. 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. The contender setting character list character descriptions by robert lipsyte. Alfreds father deserted the family when alfred was ten years old. Chapter 6 introduces alfred, and the reader, to the world of donatelli s gym. In the book alfred the main character is a troubled young man that is a high school dropout. He will sweat and bleed to get as high as his talent, courage, and character will take him. 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, along with boxers jelly belly and spoon, bring brooks to a boxing tournament at madison square garden to see willie streeter, mr.

Donatelli respects hard work, perseverance, and character more than raw talent. Free study guidethe contender by robert lipsytefree book noteschapter summary. 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. Donatelli, the manager of the gym, is a significant, positive influence in alfreds life. Alfred brooks alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in the book. At the beginning of the novel, alfred only dreams of a life as an adult. The contender essay test 45 minimum sentences for each response. Here alfred learns that boxing is a better path than gangs and drugs which his neighborhood is full of. 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. After the attempted robbery, one bystander grumbles, only reason police up here to watch out for them white stores p. The book follows his development from an unsure youth to a selfconfident young man. For those classes that have not yet read the book, the first. The contender by robert lipsyte, harpertrophy, 1967. Alfred lives in harlem with his aunt pearl, and works at a grocery store. It kept me interested the entire time i was reading it. Ala best of the best books for young adults ala notable childrens book new york public library books for the teen age. The contender study questions write a brief answer to each. Lipsyte does a good job describing the characters and showing their emotional and physical feelings. Donatelli meets them and takes them out for a special lunch. Why does alfred think about joe louis and sugar ray robinson as he looks at donatellis gym. 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. It was published by harpercollins and has a total of 176 pages in the book.

He values the process more than the result, the journey more than the arrival. 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. He has been working at donatellis gym taking care of equipment. Donatelli owner and head manager at the gym where alfred trains. This is a sports fiction novel that tells a story of alfred brooks. This character is a seventeenyearold black boy who lives in a seedy section of harlem.

The novel is the story of his coming of age and struggling to succeed. 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. There, he learns its the effort, not the win that makes a man. 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. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 127 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

Hes a highschool dropout working at a grocery store. Alfred is faced with a struggle inside himself to become a better person. What time period does the novel the contender take place. His best friend is drifting behind a haze of drugs and violence, and now. A summary of chapters in robert lipsytes the contender. The contender the contender by robert lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book.

Most importantly, donatelli urges alfred to be a contender, in life as well as in boxing. This lesson plan is designed to be used with students who have finished reading the contender by robert lipsyte. He went through a lot of stuff throughout the book. A contender is, first and foremost, a man, an adult. 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. Gangs started showing up in the 1900s and the book was published in 1967. The three steep flights of stairs to donatelli s gym represent a long and uphill struggle to get somewhere. My opinion for the contender is that it is a great book. The main character, alfred, is a normal teenager in harlem, new york. He learns that it is the journey, and the blood, sweat, and tears that make a contender, not just winning b. Despite the apparent disorder, the gym runs by a strict system of honesty and effort. The contender is told in a 1st person dialogue, which hooked me into reading the whole book. Donatelli tells him that it is the process of becoming a champion that makes a man special. The book the the contender by robert lipstye was a decent book.

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. In the contender, there are two placesparts of new york this story takes place, which are harlem. Underneath his hard exterior, he has a tender heart that cares for his students. He works for the epsteins during the day and trains at donatellis gym in the evening. Another reason is how they speak about black people. Gathering his courage, he starts going to donatellis gym, a neighborhood boxing club famous for training champions.

There he learns its the effort, not the win, that makes the boxerthat before you can be a champion, you have to be a om the publisher. The three steep flights of stairs to donatellis gym represent a long and uphill struggle to get somewhere. Donatelli says that first, he must train a lot to be in the running for greatness a contender. This is the kind of position alfred brooks is in at the beginning. 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. A summary of themes in robert lipsytes the contender. 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. Robert lipsytes the contender is a great book and makes you feel like your really there. Donatelli tells alfred that he will always be there in the gym, and what happens next is up to alfred. So, alfred begins going to donatellis gym, a boxing club in harlem that has trained champions. He is the boss in his own gym, but he believes in giving people a second chance. He is five foot seven and weighs one hundred and twentyfour and a half pounds. The contender by robert lipsytethemestheme analysis.