The Contender - Chapter 1
Chapters 1-6
Name: ________________________
Before You Read:
Build your background knowledge and learn about the history of Harlem, New York by reading the short informational
passage below.
Harlem: The Capital of Black America
By 1914, there were 50,000 African Americans living in Harlem, and black institutions began
to move there, including famous ones like Abyssinian Baptist Church and St. Philip's
Episcopal Church. Meanwhile, the number of whites in Harlem began to decline. It had been
a Jewish neighborhood—by some measures, in New York in 1910, the second-largest Jewish
neighborhood, the Lower East Side being the largest. The Jews left Harlem, most of them to
go to the Bronx. The wealthy ones tended to move south, to the Upper West Side. By 1930,
Harlem had a black population of 200,000. A lot of famous writers congregated there, leading
to what came to be called the Harlem Renaissance. The NAACP was founded there. Harlem
became the most famous black neighborhood in the world, and the capital of black America.
Adam Clayton Powell, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X are associated
with Harlem. Even today, Harlem is the most famous black neighborhood in the world, even
though it is no longer the largest black neighborhood in New York City, let alone in the
United States. But its name has instant recognition around the world.
Building Content Vocabulary:
1. Flashback: __________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Dialogue: __________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting Analysis: Read each of the sentences below from Chapter 1, describing the setting of The Contender. Then, in
the space provided below, describe the mood the setting evokes.
“Up and down the street transistor radios clicked on and hummed into the sour air.”
“Cars cruised through the garbage and broken glass, older guys showing off their
Friday night girls.”
“Packs of little kids, raggedy and skinny, raced past him along the gutter’s edge,
kicking empty beer cans ahead of him.”
“The stench of wine and garbage still hung in the moist June air.”
1. What mood does the author’s description of the setting evoke?
a. playful, happy
b. scary, foreboding
c. dismal, gloomy
2.
Predicting: What influence would the setting most likely have on the people who live there?
Chapter 1 - Reading Questions
3. Who seems to be the leader of the gang, and what methods does he use to control it?
4. “You just a slave,” sneered Major. To what does Major think Alfred is a slave?
5. What is the attitude of the boys in the club towards white people?
6. Why does James start hanging around with Major and Hollis? How have Major and Hollis treated James and
Alfred earlier?
7. Why do Major, Hollis and Sonny tease and harass Alfred? Why do they call Alfred “Uncle”?
8. Why is Alfred unwilling to rob the store?
9. What was James’s ambition once? Why does it not seem to be his ambition now?
10. How does Alfred feel about James? Why? How do you know that Alfred and James are not as close as they once
were?
11. Why do Major, Hollis, and Sonny beat Alfred?
Analysis of Dialogue
The author, Robert Lipsyte, uses a wide variety of speech patterns when recounting the dialogue between the various
characters. This is especially evident in Chapter 1 when Alfred is conversing with James, Major, Sonny and Hollis.
Describe the different speech patterns used and explain why you think the author wrote the story that way.
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Author’s use of Flashback
1. What scene in chapter one was an example of a flashback?
a. The night that Alfred’s mom died.
b. When Alfred was jumped.
c. Major, Sonny and Hollis robbing the grocery store.
The Contender
grocery store
Alfred
Major
Hollis
Summarizing Chapter 1
alarm
Aunt Pearl
Jewish
engineer
Sonny
father
mother
Harlem
Name ____________________________
beat
gang
movies
Uncle
James (2)
cave
force
Epsteins’
In chapter 1, we met the main character, ___________________. He is in a difficult situation. He lives in
______________________, a section of New York City. This section was once a vibrant part of the African-American
community in the 1920s and 1930s but is mostly a slum area in the 1960s. Alfred’s best friend is ___________________.
Alfred’s best friend has been there for him when Alfred’s life has fallen apart. First, Alfred’s ___________________ left
the family. Then, a few years later, Alfred’s _______________________ died of pneumonia, and Alfred went to live
with his _________________________. Alfred sought safety and comfort in his “safe zone,” a ___________________ in
the park. It was here that James helped Alfred get through these tough times. Both Alfred and James had high hopes for
their lives. James wanted to become an ________________________ and have Alfred help him design buildings and
other things. Once they were successful, they planned to come back to Harlem and give back to their community.
Unfortunately, both teens quit school before they were able to realize their dreams. Alfred found a job in a
_____________________________, but James was unable to get a job so now he hangs out with a _________________.
The leader of this gang is __________________________, and he has his “helpers,” _____________________ and
_________________________. Major keeps control of the gang by ___________________. When Alfred and James
were younger, Major and his gang used to torment them. Now James has become a part of the gang.
Major and the gang make fun of Alfred and call him ___________________ Alfred because they think he does
whatever the whites tell him to. One of Alfred’s favorite Friday night activities is to go to the ____________________,
but one night when Alfred tries to get James to go along, James refuses. Instead, Major, James, and the rest of the gang
decide to rob the ____________________________ grocery store, where Alfred works. They do this because Alfred
accidentally tells them that the Epsteins keep the money in the cash register on Friday nights because they are
_____________________ , and it is against their religion to touch money on their Sabbath, which begins on Friday night.
Alfred forgets to tell them about the newly installed burglar ________________________, and
______________________ is caught by the police during the robbery. When Alfred bumps into Major and the gang later
on that night, the gang members ______________________ Alfred because they think he purposely did not tell them
about the alarm.
Chapter 2 Reading Questions
1. Why do you think the author included the television scene in the story? Why doesn’t the program interest Alfred?
2. According to Alfred’s story to Aunt Pearl, how was he hurt? Why does Aunt Pearl cry while she is talking to
Alfred?
3. What is Alfred’s attitude toward drug addicts?
4. What finally motivates Alfred to bound up the steps to the gym?
5. Why does Alfred want to become a fighter?
6. Why do you think Alfred found the steps to Donatelli’s gym so steep and hard to climb? What do you think they
represent in Alfred’s life?
The Contender
fighter
defend
Aunt Pearl’s
Summarizing Chapter 2
Donatelli’s Gym
lies
Major
stairs
somebody
James
grocery store
drug addicts
Henry
In this chapter Alfred wakes up in bed in ______________________ apartment. When she asks him what has
happened to him, he ___________________ and says he fell off a fence. Aunt Pearl tells him that
___________________ has been arrested in the attempted burglary at the ___________________________. She also
tells him that _________________, the crippled young man who works at the gym, brought Alfred home the night he was
hurt.
Alfred stays in bed all day and goes out to walk around that evening. He sees some _______________________
shooting up in the hallway of his apartment, and at first he envies their chance to escape the awful surroundings. Then he
thinks of how these people look after several years of shooting up, and he decides that he doesn’t envy them after all.
While he is walking, he thinks he sees _____________________, so he ducks into the building where
______________________________ is located. He climbs what seems like many __________________ to the gym. He
walks into the dark room and tells the man who is there that he wants to be a ______________________. He does this
because he wants to be able to _____________________ himself against the gang, but he also wants a way to become
________________________ and get out of the slums.
Chapter 3 Reading Questions
1. What does Donatelli tell Alfred about fear?
2. How does fighting in the street differ from fighting in the ring, according to Donatelli?
3. Why does Donatelli immediately tell Alfred about how hard a boxed must work?
4. Describe a typical day for a man training to be a boxer.
5. Why did Alfred quit school?
6. According to Donatelli, what makes a man? Do you agree?
7. “If you quit before you really try, that’s worse than never starting at all. And nothing’s promised you, nothing is
ever promised you,” says Donatelli. What do you think he is really talking about here?
The Contender
peanut
heavy
champion
nine
Summarizing Chapter 3
white
run
soda
sit-ups
milk
reason
blue
climbing
fear
fried
contender
green
Name _____________________________
quitting
threatening
no
starting
ring
push-ups
meat
rules
When Alfred walks into the gym, Donatelli starts grilling him immediately. Donatelli is the owner of the gym, an
older man with ____________________ hair in a crew cut and cold _______________ eyes. First, when Donatelli asks
Alfred if he is afraid and Alfred says ____________, Donatelli says that a man must have ___________________ but
make it work for him. He also tells Alfred that fighting in the _____________________ is different from fighting on the
street because the ring has _____________________.
He asks Alfred to hit the two bags in the gym. One is the _________________ bag, which is used to build power;
the other is the ___________________ bag, which is used to build timing and speed.
Donatelli describes the training of a boxer. He will have to _________________ early every morning no matter
what. Then he’ll go home and eat a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast and tea. He can no longer eat
__________________ foods or drink ________________. After work, he will come to the gym and do
_________________, ___________________, jump rope, etc. He’ll go home and eat ____________________, a
___________________ vegetable, a salad, fruit and drink ________________ for dinner. He must be asleep by
_______________ o’clock.
When Donatelli asks Alfred why he quit school, Alfred says there was no ____________________ to stay. When
Donatelli asks Alfred why he thinks he won’t quit training to be a boxer, Alfred says he wants to be somebody, a
_______________________. Donatelli tells him the most important thing is to be a _______________________, the man
coming up. He explains to him that it’s the ____________________ that makes the man. He also says that
________________________ before you try is worse than never ______________________ at all.
When Alfred leaves, he doesn’t think the steps are as darkly ______________________ as they were when he
arrived.
The Contender – Chapters 2-3
Background Knowledge: Build your background knowledge by reading the following excerpts of informational texts.
Sugar Ray Robinson (1921 – 1989)
Sugar Ray Robinson was born May 3, 1921, in Detroit, Mich. He was an American professional boxer, six times a
world champion. He is considered by many authorities to have been the best fighter in history. He won 89 amateur fights
without defeat. He won Golden Gloves titles as a featherweight in 1939 and as a lightweight in 1940. Robinson won 40
consecutive professional fights before losing to Jake LaMotta in one of their six battles. Robinson continued to fight
until he was 45 years old. In 201 professional bouts, he had 109 knockouts. He suffered only 19 defeats, most of them
when he was past 40. His outstanding ability and flamboyant personality made him a hero of boxing fans throughout the
world. In retirement he appeared on television and in motion pictures and formed a youth foundation in 1969.
1. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Sugar Ray Robinson had 109 knockouts in his professional career.
b. Sugar Ray Robinson was a talented boxer who had a lot of success throughout his career.
c. Sugar Ray Robinson formed a foundation to help youth in 1969.
Joe Louis (1914-1981)
Joe Louis was an American boxer who was world heavyweight champion from June 22, 1937, when he knocked out
James J. Braddock in eight rounds in Chicago, until March 1, 1949, when he briefly retired. During his reign, he
successfully defended his title 25 times, more than any other champion in any division, scoring 21 knockouts. He was
known as an extremely accurate and economical knockout puncher. Joe Louis enlisted in the army during World War II
and served in the same unit as Jackie Robinson, the first African American professional baseball player. Joe Louis
continued boxing until late in his life. In his last fight of consequence, against future champion Rocky Marciano on
October 26, 1951, he was knocked out in eight rounds.
2. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Joe Louis was a successful boxer who was known for his ability to knockout his opponents.
b. Joe Louis boxes late into his life.
c. Joe Louis served in the military during World War II.
3. Which information in the paragraph does NOT support the main idea?
a. Joe Louis was an extremely accurate and economical knockout puncher.
b. Jackie Robinson was the first African American professional baseball player.
c. Joe Louis successfully defended his championship title 25 times.
Character Quote: Read the following quote from Mr. Donatelli found in Chapter 3 of The Contender.
“It’s the climbing that makes the man. Getting to the top is an extra reward.”
What do you think this quote means? What is the life lesson that can be learned from this character quote?
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Building Content Vocabulary:
Characterization: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Compare:__________________________________________________________________________________________
Contrast: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Characterization. In the boxes below, describe three things you learned or can infer about Alfred, Aunt Pearl and Mr.
Donatelli.
Alfred
Aunt Pearl
Mr. Donatelli
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
Reread the passage that describes the television show Alfred watches in his aunt’s apartment. Compare and contrast the
fictional television show with Alfred’s reality as he grows up in Harlem.
Alfred’s Reality
Television Show
Character Matching - Write the name of the character that matches the description below.
Alfred
Henry
James
Major
Aunt Pearl
Sonny/Hollis
Mr. Epstein
Mr. Donatelli
Bud Martin
1. ________________________ Has become close friends with Major, Hollis and Sonny. Dropped out of high
school. Alfred’s best friend.
2. ________________________ Helps carry Alfred home after Alfred was beaten up.
3. ________________________ Begins to distrust Alfred following the attempted break in at the grocery store.
4. ________________________ Leader of a gang that hangs out in the basement clubroom.
5. ________________________ Owns a boxing gym.
6. ________________________ Takes care of Alfred following Alfred’s parents’ death.
7. ________________________ Threatens to beat Alfred if he does not help them break into the grocery store.
8. ________________________ Works at a grocery store. Is the protagonist of The Contender.
9. ________________________ Works for Mr. Donatelli and helps Alfred with his training.
Chapter 4 Reading Questions
1. The nationalist speaker the rally says, “The White man’s got his feet on your throat. You gonna lick his shoe?”
The first sentence is a figure of speech, not meant to be taken literally. What is really meant by this statement?
2. What is the message of Reverend Price’s sermon about relations between blacks and whites?
3. What is Alfred’s conception of how the police department handles prisoners?
4. How has Alfred’s life been different from his cousin Jeff’s?
5. What does Uncle Wilson encourage Alfred to do?
6. Why does Alfred feel uncomfortable with Uncle Wilson? How does Alfred feel when he talks about his future?
7. What internal conflict does Alfred experience towards the end of Chapter 4? How have those around him
influenced Alfred’s current conflict?
8. What does Alfred decide to do at the very end of Chapter 4?
Personal Response:
Uncle Wilson asks Alfred what he plans to do with his future. What do YOU plan to do with your future? What would
you like to be when you grow up? What kinds of things would you like accomplish in your life? Where do you want to
see yourself in 10-20 years? Write a paragraph answering these questions.
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The Contender
Dorothy
college
James
Jeff
alarm
Summarizing Chapter 4
nationalist
choir
Epsteins
Peace Corps
Queens
trades
run
voter
rights
lawyer
white
robbery
Name: ____________________
opportunities
Major
Wilson
Mr. Donatelli
On the way to church Alfred is confronted by some people at the _______________________ rally. The speakers
are telling the audience that blacks must take their ______________________ now, that the ______________________
man has kept him down long enough. Alfred pretends not to hear. When they arrive at church, Aunt Pearl takes her place
in the ___________________, and Alfred tires to slump into his usual day-dreaming state. At one point, Alfred sees
____________________ standing in the door of the church, staring at him.
After church, Alfred and his family board the subway to ride to _____________________, where his Aunt
______________________ and Uncle ____________________ live in their own nice house in a clean, quiet
neighborhood. Uncle Wilson questions Alfred about his future plans, and tells him that blacks have to be ready for the
________________________ that are opening up. He encourages Alfred to think about the ______________________,
such as carpentry and bricklaying. He then talks about Alfred’s cousin __________________, who is a successful
_____________________ student. Jeff is talking about joining the __________________________________ and going
to Africa. He may become a _________________________ or a teacher after graduation. He is also going to work in
________________________ registration in the South during the summer. Alfred wants to tell his uncle about
___________________________, but he thinks better of it and decides not to.
Once they are home, Alfred thinks about ____________________. He also know that in the morning the
____________________ will question him about the attempted _______________________. As he considers all that he
has heard that day from the black nationalists and Uncle Wilson, he decides to set the ____________________ for 5:30,
obviously meaning that he intends to ____________________ in the morning to begin his training as a boxer.
The Contender – Chapter 4
Read the short informational text below about Queens, New York. Underline or highlight the most important information
in the text.
Queens, New York
Queens is one of five boroughs of New York City. Located on the western portion of Long Island, Queens is home to
two of the three major New York City area airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. It is also the
location of the New York Mets baseball team, the US Open tennis tournament and the Aqueduct Racetrack. With a
population of 2.3 million, it is the second most populous borough in New York City, behind Brooklyn. Queens is known
as one of the more suburban areas of New York City, although the northwestern area of Queens is home to many urban
neighborhoods and several business districts.
While You Read:
Compare/Contrast: Keep track of the similarities and differences between Alfred’s neighborhood of Harlem and his
aunt’s neighborhood in Queens.
Harlem
(Alfred’s
Neighborhood)
Queens (Aunt
Dorothy’s
Neighborhood)
Chapter 5 Reading Questions
1. What do you feel is the most important reason Alfred starts training as a contender?
2. Why do the policemen stop Alfred when he runs the first morning? How does their questioning affect him?
3. Why is Aunt Pearl worried about Alfred?
4. How do the Epsteins treat Alfred when he arrives at work Monday morning after the robbery? Are they being
fair? Explain.
5. What change does Alfred see in James through the store window?
The Contender
Aunt Pearl
training
trust
Summarizing Chapter 5
policemen
fruit
swollen
Mr. Donatelli
Lou
Henry
probation
money
milk
James
cold
Alfred begins his _____________________ by running in the park. He feels great until two
_________________________ stop him and ask him why he’s out running so early. When he tells them about Mr.
Donatelli, they smile and let him go, but he feels defeated and goes home. ___________________________ questions
him about why he has been out that early, but he doesn’t tell her the reason.
That day at work is tough. The oldest Epstein, _____________________, questions him about the robbery, and
Alfred is very uncomfortable. Lou tells him that James will probably get __________________________ since it is his
first offense and nothing was taken. It is clear the Epsteins no longer _____________________ him as they once did,
however, when they don’t let Alfred take the cash register _____________________ to the bank. Alfred is so
uncomfortable that he doesn’t even take the __________________ and ________________ for lunch that the Epsteins
provide.
What is very difficult is when Alfred sees ________________________ looking in the window at him. James’s
face is __________________ and his eyes are __________________ and hard. He doesn’t respond when Alfred calls to
him.
Alfred puts in a long day at the store. Just when he decides the boxing idea was stupid, ___________________
stops by and tells him that _________________________ has spoken about him.
Chapter 6 Reading Questions
1. Why do you think Alfred finds the stairs to the gym “friendly old steps” up which he bounces two at a time? How
has this changed from earlier?
2. Describe the daily routine at the gym.
3. Who is Bud Martin and why doesn’t he want Mr. Donatelli to find out about the incident with Red?
4. What does Bud mean by “You a smart meat”? and by “Be sweet, boy”?
5. How does Alfred feel about Red after Bud hits him? What does this tell us about Alfred?
The Contender
Bud Martin
Lightning Lou Epp
headgear
Henry
Summarizing Chapter 6
Dr. Corey
sit-ups
tape
bleeding
punch
jaw
trash
ticket
Mr. Donatelli
second
Red
boxing
Alfred arrives at the gym and seems totally disoriented. He has no idea what he should do because neither
_____________________ nor Mr. Donatelli is around. He watches as guys spar, do exercises, work the peanut bag, etc.
He almost leaves, but _______________________, the dentist from downstairs, bumps into him and tells him that he
might as well stay and start with _________________________. When one of the boxers laughs at his sit-ups, another
boxer shows him how to do it correctly.
Later on, Henry arrives and begins to help ____________________________, who is Mr. Donatelli’s assistant.
Bud is an older, skinny man with no teeth. Alfred has only his street clothes, so exercising makes him hot, and he decides
to walk over to see what Henry and Bud are doing. They are packing a satchel with Vaseline, tape, etc. Bud tells Alfred
about a special ointment he has made to stop _____________________ and that he once had a boxer named
_______________________________________, who bled very easily when he was hit.
At one point, ___________________, the boxer who called Alfred “__________________” and laughed at him,
orders Bud to _____________________ his hands. Bud tells him he needs to learn to do it himself. A little while later,
Red orders Bud to get him a ________________________ so he can spar. When Bud tells him that he cannot spar
because neither he nor Mr. Donatelli can watch him, he becomes angry. He throws a _____________________ at Bud,
but Bud quickly deflects it and punches him in the _______________________. Red tears up and leaves, and Bud orders
the other boxers not to tell ______________________________. He says that training every day is tough and that
everyone deserves a ___________________________ chance. Bud then tells Alfred that Mr. Donatelli has left a
_____________________ for him to go to see a real _____________________ match that night.
The Contender – Chapters 5-6
Content Vocabulary – Figurative Language
Metaphor
Simile
Stating that something is
A ________________________
between two _____________ things
using the words ___________ or
____________.
Personification
________________ else. A
Giving the __________________ of a
________________ between two
___________________ to an animal,
_______________ things __________
an object, or an idea.
using the words like or as.
Figurative Language: For each example of figurative language listed below, choose which type of figurative language it
is.
1. “the birds were chattering”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. “There was tension in the store, as thick and heavy as the air before a rainstorm.”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. “He ate in the back of the store, alone, chewing sandwiches that tasted like cardboard in his dry mouth.”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
4. “Flies…climb[ed] up the sweating pickle barrel.”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
5. “He bounced up the steps two at a time, friendly old steps…”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
6. “an enormous black belly rushed past, spraying sweat like a lawn sprinkler.”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
7. “Make your stomach like a rock.”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________
8. “the arm shot out like a jackhammer”
personification
simile
metaphor
_________________________________________________________________________________________