The Role of Setting in The Contender
CP English 10
The passage below discusses the effect that the setting has on many of Lipsyte’s novels, specifically The Contender.
Read the passage to yourself and think about the main idea behind it.
Lipsyte's experience growing up in New York City contributes to the sense of place in his books. The sleazy
underworld he describes, particularly in The Contender, takes influence from his personal experience and
knowledge of what it is like to grow up there. The coming of age theme is emphasized by the setting, mainly
because there are a multitude of temptations that could steer a teen in the wrong direction in New York City.
These temptations are necessary for a hero to face and conquer, which is perhaps why many of Lipsyte's books
take place not only in New York City, but also in the non-glamorous and more dangerous sections within.
adapted from sparknotes.com
Before moving on to the small group discussion activity, we must understand these two phrases:
Phrase
Meaning
“sense of place”
“coming of age”
In the next activity, you will work with a partner and rotate to various stations in the room to find textual evidence in
chapter one that supports the claims in the passage above. For each of the quotes given below, you should find a
passage from the text that supports the claim being made. Write down the passage in the appropriate box below. Then,
write the passage that you found on the whiteboard.
For the fourth box, simply answer the question as thoroughly as possible, and write your chosen setting on the
whiteboard.
1. “The sleazy underworld he describes…”
2. “…there are a multitude of temptations that
could steer a youth in the wrong direction…”
3. “…in the non-glamorous and more dangerous
sections within.”
4. Choose and explain another setting that might
be fitting for a coming of age story.