Chapters 58 quiz and writing prompts pdf file the contender. The breakthrough modern sports novel the contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero. 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. They was the only ones gave me a job when i quit school, he yelled. The contender by robert lipsyte monkeynotes summary. Hes a highschool dropout and his grocery store job is leading nowhere. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more.
The contender, however, he really liked and said it was one of his. Edwards award for lifetime achievement in ya fiction, is the story of. The major theme of the novel is the difficulty of growing up and finding an identity. The contender summary the contender is a young adult novel by robert lipsyte. Alfred lives in harlem with his aunt pearl, and works at a grocery store. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the contender. Lipsyte 25 donatelli telling alfred that everyone wants the be a champion but thats not good enough you have to want to be a contender and this makes alfred want to show donatelli that he is a contender so he wants to be a boxer to show donatilli. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary. The contender sometimes, it feels like we are at a crossroads, where everything is changing. Then once hes hurt will he give up or will he keep on going. The title of this book is the contender and it was written by robert lipsyte. 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. Aunt dorothy and uncle wilson are clearly well off financially.
Alfred brookss life is going nowhere until he joins a renowned boxing club in harlem. The contender is a novel by robert lipsyte that was first published in 1967. Lipsyte describes jamaica as a tranquil little village with grassy streets and tidy houses. Find out as we learn more about the characters and a book summary of robert lipsyte s the contender. Alfred pushes his body to the limit by training under him. 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. The contender themes moodbiography by robert lipsyte. 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. Lipsyte explores a number of issues especially those that confront teenagersthrough alfred. The contender by robert lipsyte monkeynotes summary study. His best friend is sinking further and further into drug addiction.
Book summary 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. Donatelli, an excellent, nononsense, managermentor. Jan 08, 20 howard cosell interview with robert lipsyte 1991 duration. The contender is a comingofage novel whose protagonist, a black seventeenyearold high school dropout named alfred brooks, lives with his aunt pearl and. I have students complete this activity at the midway point in the book. Buy a cheap copy of the contender book by robert lipsyte. Thats why his columns, and this marvelous memoir, an.
Charlotte zolotow lecture, 2001, given by robert lipsyte created by cooperative childrens book center ccbc univ. The contender is the debut novel by american author and sports journalist robert lipsyte. This is our monkeynotes downloadable and printable book summarybooknotessynopsis for the contender by robert lipsyte in pdf format. If you like a book that is slow paced with great meaning and life lessens, then this is the book for you. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. Alfred and sylvia and the children of ceridwen morris, a birth instructor and writer, and her husband, sam lipsyte, an associate professor of creative writing at columbia and author of four books, including the bestselling novel. The contender is a comingofage novel whose protagonist, a black seventeen yearold high school dropout named alfred brooks, lives with his aunt pearl and. This way students have an understanding of the story line and are better able to relate it to their own lives. Read the contender online by robert lipsyte books free 30day. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. In the novel, alfred brooks is a black 17yearold high school dropout living in harlem in the mid1960s. His best friend is drifting behind a haze of drugs and violence, and now.
In the book alfred the main character is a troubled young man that is a high school dropout. Jan 26, 2010 the breakthrough modern sports novel the contender shows readers the true meaning of being a hero. On the subway back to harlem, alfred worries about a large black man, drunk and bleeding in the middle of the subway car. This powerful story is recommended to sportsminded young adults and reluctant readers. The contender by robert lipsyte free booknotes summary themes major theme. See a complete list of the characters in the contender and indepth analyses of alfred. Alfreds father deserted the family when alfred was ten years old. 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.
Former sports journalist robert lipsyte makes the boxing scenes vivid and realistic, but he is equally successful at depicting life on the streets and alfreds inner struggle to find within himself the man he would like to be. Chapters 14 quiz and writing prompts pdf file the contender. Up and down the street transistor radios clicked on and hummed into the sour air. Some street kids are after him for something he didnt pdf even do.
Alfred, the protagonist, is the most dynamic character in the book. Find out as we learn more about the characters and a book summary of robert lipsytes the contender. The best new prizes have been named alfred lipsyte, sylvia lipsyte, and daniel nachumi, my three grandchildren. The books 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. Free the contender study unit worksheets for teachers to print. It was published by harpercollins and has a total of 176 pages in the book. Sportsworld, as lipsyte points out in the book by that name, is a grotesque distortion of sports. 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. The contender, by robert lipsyte, is the story of a highschool dropout named alfred who makes a hard choice to turn away from a life on the streets of harlem and all the trouble that entails and. As illustrated in the contender, lipsyte values the process more than the result. Alfred is dissatisfied with his job and confused by the changes he sees going on around him, and begins training at donatellis gym to become a boxer.
The contender, by robert lipsyte rising action 3 resolution alfred goes to the gym, and meets mr. Edwards award for lifetime achievement in ya fiction, is the story. Alfred finds james in the cave, their childhood secret. Hes not an avid reader and often complains about the book hes been assigned to read. The contender, the brave, the chief, and warrior angel.
Jock culture glorifies the young, the strong and the beautiful, and lipsyte, the wouldbe chekhov, gets the tragic implications. This particular edition is in a mass market paperback format. So for any parents with boys who dont love to read have your son try this one out. Monkeynotes study guides download storedownloadable study guidesbook summary,book notes,notes,chapter summarysynopsis. Lipsyte explores a number of issues especially those that confront. 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. Howard cosell interview with robert lipsyte 1991 duration. 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. Free the contender worksheets and literature unit for. This acclaimed novel by celebrated sportswriter robert lipsyte, the recipient of the margaret a. A vocabulary list featuring the contender by robert lipsyte, chapters 7. Aug 10, 2011 the contender by robert lipsyte, harpertrophy, 1967. The contender by robert lipsyte, chapters 7 vocabulary.
The protagonist of the novel is a black seventeenyearold man named alfred brooks, a high school dropout living. He waited on the stoop until twilight, pretending to watch the sun melt into the dirty gray harlem sky. The contender shows the harlem of midtwentieth century, when the blacks were becoming restless. Before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender. Thats why his columns, and this marvelous memoir, an accidental sportswriter, are so affecting. The biggest journalistic gamechanger of our time has been the rise of social media and the overgrowth of faux news sources league and teamsponsored blogs, player tweets, fanboy sites, rumor mills churning bits of information and speculation into a clattering fog storm. 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. Book report form the contender book report form pdf file customize the the contender book report reading comprehensions robert lipsyte grade 9 the contender. Like this is our monkeynotes downloadable and printable book summarybooknotessynopsis for the contender by robert lipsyte in pdf format. Donatilli is saying that he will know once alfred gets hurt. Hes a highschool dropout working at a grocery store.
The contender the contender by robert lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book. When donatilli told alfred this, alfred now knows what it means to be a contender and what it takes to be a contender. Robert lipsytes the contender is a great book and makes you feel like your really there. The contender by robert lipsyte, is one of my favorite books that i have read because it deals with real life situations, and a struggle to fight an addiction. Lipsyte does a good job describing the characters and showing their emotional and physical feelings. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. This activity is based on the book the contender by robert lipsyte. Robert lipsyte biography cliffsnotes study guides book. This is a sports fiction novel that tells a story of alfred brooks. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The contender by robert lipsyte, harpertrophy, 1967.
1414 549 1150 850 559 1347 1225 1038 166 904 1121 1347 1474 370 801 1389 740 1293 522 45 174 939 1496 2 1208 1086 1206 821 56 1452 226 1405 488 736 25