The Contender – Chapter Summaries – Flashcards

The mid-1960s. This was a time where the fight for civil rights and equality for African-American [such as MLK, Jr.] was active.

Themes explored include issues of (1) socio-economic stance since Alfred is an orphan and poor, (2) peer pressure since Alfred and James are pressured to do things that are wrong, (3) racism since Alfred is African-American, and Harlem is almost all African-American residents. It is also a time for civil rights for African-Americans in mid-1960s. (4) fighting for your goals and what you believe in, and (5) becoming better and developing character.

Alfred Brooks is scared. He is a high school dropout and orphan. His grocery store job is leading nowhere. Albert's best friend James is becoming a drug addict. Some street kids are after him for something he didn't even do. So, Alfred begins going to Donatelli's Gym, a boxing club in Harlem that has trained champions. There, he learns it's the effort, not the win that makes a man. The title of the book refers to the saying that "Before you can be a champion, you have to be a contender." A contender is someone who is competing for a championship. If you do not enter, you cannot win.

Alfred Brooks is 17 year old African-American male, high-school dropout. As the novel opens, Alfred waits on his apartment building's front stoop for his best friend, James. When Alfred was 10 years old, his father left home. When he was 13, his mother died of pneumonia. On both occasions, Alfred's pal James stood by him. Now, Alfred lives in Harlem with his Aunt Pearl and her three young daughters, Charlene, Sandra, and Paula who are his cousins. He appears to be indecisive about the direction of his life. James is late, and Alfred suspects a problem. Alfred believes his friend may be in bad company. Alfred hurries to the basement clubroom where he finds James with Major, Hollis, and Sonny. While Alfred tries to persuade James to go to the movies with him as they had planned, Alfred inadvertently reveals that his employers, the Epsteins, leave money in the cash register of their grocery store on Friday nights so that they don't handle money on the Jewish Sabbath. Major, who has been mocking Alfred for his subservient duties at the Jewish store, quickly sees an opportunity for easy cash. Major leads Hollis, Sonny, and James on a raid of the grocery; Alfred refuses to go along. This shows Alfred refuses to go along with peer pressure. After the others have left, Alfred bumps into Henry, a nice man from the neighborhood who walks with a limp. Henry explains that he's been working at Donatelli's gym, where famous boxers train. Henry suggests that Alfred come to the gym. In the middle of the conversation Alfred sees a police car and Alfred suddenly remembers that the Epsteins have installed a new silent burglar alarm. He tries, too late, to warn James. Several police cruisers descend on the grocery. Hoping that James has escaped, Alfred searches for him at their secret cave in the park. Later, Hollis, Sonny, and Major blame Alfred for James' capture. The three attack Alfred, but the beating stops when two policemen appear in the distance, scaring off the gang members.

James is in jail. Alfred awakes in Aunt Pearl's apartment and learns from Aunt Pearl that Henry Johnson found Alfred wandering around the previous night, beaten but not permanently injured, and that Henry and Henry's father carried him home. When Aunt Pearl asks how he was hurt, Alfred tells her that he fell off a fence, but she doesn't believe him. After Aunt Pearl goes to work and his cousins go out to play, Alfred tries to eat a little and watches some television (where he sees a show depicting a white suburban family, whose life stands in stark contrast to his own); but he spends most of the day asleep. That night, Alfred goes out, avoiding streets where he might meet Major or his henchmen. Alfred sees Henry Johnson but avoids him, too, because he is in no mood to express gratitude. Without consciously meaning to, Alfred winds up in front of the building housing Donatelli's Gym. Alfred thinks he spots Major in the distance and runs across the street, but he realizes that the man he saw is not Major, his adversary, and he feels ashamed. He wonders if he will always be a slave to fear. Although Alfred shakes with uncertainty, he somehow climbs the stairs to the third-floor gym where he meets a stocky, stoic older man. Alfred says that he has come to be a fighter.

Donatelli is a stocky man with crew-cut white hair. He carries himself in a military manner and is very businesslike, even brusque, as he first measures Alfred (five feet seven and three-quarter inches tall) and then weighs (124 1/2 pounds). Donatelli tells Alfred exactly what to expect if he tries to become a fighter. He invites the young man to return but suggests that he not do so unless Alfred is genuinely prepared to commit himself to the program. Donatelli tells Alfred that: (1) In a boxing ring, just as in life, there is no place to hide; (2) Alfred must learn to follow the rules; (3) He must earn his way; (4) Skill is essential and can be learned, but skill is not enough. Nothing is guaranteed; (5) If Alfred quits before he really tries, he has failed more than if he had never started at all; and (6) Most importantly, as the title of the novel indicates, Alfred must strive to be a contender rather than a champion. The chances are that Alfred will never reach the top, but he will be a contender if he takes his skill, his brain, and his heart as high as he can.

It is Sunday morning. Alfred accompanies his three little cousins and Aunt Pearl as they walk to church. The five pass a rally featuring a street speaker who advocates racial separation and resistance to white control. As Major did in the clubroom in the first chapter, the speaker taunts Alfred for trying to fit into the white man's world. Alfred recognizes Harold, a stocky, politically oriented young man whom he knew in high school. Harold and a slender young woman named Lynn try to recruit Alfred, but he hurries on to church. After worship services, Alfred, Aunt Pearl, and the girls ride the subway to Jamaica, a suburban village in Queens, to visit Pearl's sister Dorothy and her family. Dorothy's husband, Wilson, has a good job and has purchased a house. Their son, Jeff, has a scholarship to college and may join the Peace Corps. At the end of the day, Alfred, Aunt Pearl, and the girls return to Harlem. After Aunt Pearl and the girls fall asleep, Alfred takes Aunt Pearl's alarm clock from her room and sets it for 5:30 a.m. ready to be a contender and go for a run in the morning.

Alfred is running in the park at first light Monday morning. His stride is smooth and easy. Birds sing, the breeze is cool, and he feels a rare joy. Alfred Brooks is smiling. Suddenly his reverie [dreamlike state] is smashed by two policemen, one of whom shouts, "Hold it right there." Alfred explains that he is in training, managed by Mr. Donatelli. The cops have heard of Donatelli and ease off. The mood, however, is broken. The good feeling is gone. When Alfred returns home, Aunt Pearl also wonders why he was out at such an hour, but Alfred tells her that he couldn't sleep and went for a walk. Alfred is lying and still afraid to be himself. At work, Lou Epstein, the oldest of the brothers, speaks privately with Alfred about the burglary. He says that Alfred is "a good boy," but the employers seem distant and distrustful. Jake, the middle brother, takes the deposit to the bank; this had been Alfred's job. Surprisingly, James, his face swollen and grim, appears at the window as Alfred is arranging fruit in the front window. He doesn't respond to Alfred's greeting. Alfred is despondent and fantasizes about robbing the store himself. Alfred feels bad about not being trusted and bad about James who he didn't join. Suddenly Henry pops in, oozing energy. He is delighted that Alfred will be at the gym after work. Before Alfred can refuse, Henry is gone.

Alfred retrieves the euphoria of his morning run as he bounces up the "friendly" stairs leading to Donatelli's Gym. He tries to stifle his grin before entering, because he wants to look businesslike and tough when he greets the manager for his first day of training. But when he opens the door this time, he is greeted not by Donatelli but by a sight that reminds him of Reverend Price's description of hell. The gym appears to be in chaos. Young men of several races and all sizes are participating in activities completely foreign to Alfred. Some perform gyrations that resemble jacks-in-the-box. Others seem to be boxing their own images in mirrors. Jelly Belly, A very rotund person flies past, spraying him with sweat "like a lawn sprinkler." Alfred is totally unprepared. He doesn't even have proper gear and must work out in his street clothes. Donatelli is absent, preparing a fighter for an appearance at Madison Square Garden that night. Dr. Corey, the dentist from the second floor of the building, finally greets him in a friendly manner. Still, most of the crowd ignores him. An arrogant, well-built fighter called "Red" treats him rudely. Red is eventually expelled by Bud Martin, Mr. Donatelli's cagey old assistant.

When Alfred accompanies Henry to that night's fights at the Garden, he enters yet another new world with its attendant revelations on boxing and life. Outside the building is a vast array of fight fans ranging from seedy men with smashed-in faces to high-rolling Harlem gamblers in dinner jackets. Inside is a scene that is both threatening and exciting. Mr. Donatelli's promising prospect, Willie Streeter, is to meet Junius Becker in the featured event. Alfred is very impressed with Willie, who looks cool and confident. Jelly Belly, who has joined Alfred and Henry, is more skeptical, noting that Willie is Willie and will likely fight the fight "his way" despite Mr. Donatelli's instructions. Alfred briefly thinks of James and the fun they once had pretending that they would be professional wrestlers. The fight is surprisingly slow until the middle rounds when the two combatants inadvertently smash heads. Becker briefly goes to a knee, but it is Willie who has a serious cut on the outside corner of his left eye. Willie seems to quit fighting, and Becker takes the offensive. Donatelli asks the referee to stop the fight, granting Becker a victory. In the locker room, the three friends meet Bill Witherspoon, a former fighter and schoolteacher, who gives Alfred and Henry a ride home. On the stoop of Alfred's building, Major, Hollis, and Sonny are waiting for him.

Major and his henchmen have taken Alfred to the clubroom where they attempt to intimidate him. They want him to help in another burglary of the Epstein brothers' grocery. Alfred is to do what he earlier considered: disconnect the alarm. Although he literally quakes with fear, Alfred refuses to cooperate. Major attempts to bully him and even pulls a knife, but Alfred holds his ground. Alfred is able to get Major to back down by standing up to him. Alfred returns home feeling victorious.

Although it is only his second day of training, Alfred feels loose and strong on his run the next morning. His life appears to be improving rapidly. Even a policeman yells encouragement. Alfred runs for more than an hour and does calisthenics on his way back to the apartment. At home, Aunt Pearl again questions where he has been and is relieved when Alfred now is able to tell her the truth. She would prefer that he not box, but it is better than what she had imagined he was doing.

Over the next few weeks, Alfred experiences the hard work and tedium of training to become a fighter. The first week is mostly pain. Mr. Donatelli has him shadowboxing for three minutes, resting for one minute, and shadowboxing for three minutes again, to the point that Alfred awakens in the middle of the night in misery. The second week is more of the same but worse. Alfred feels that everyone is riding him. At Sunday morning service, Aunt Pearl asks Reverend Price about the boxing. Alfred secretly hopes that the preacher will make him quit, but Reverend Price wisely sees this as a positive way to direct the young man's energy for a while. Halfway through the third week, the pain subsides. Alfred is getting in shape. He wakes up before the alarm in the morning and runs smoothly. Still, Alfred feels isolated. Spoon drops by and pays some attention to him, but days pass when no one says a word. At work, Lou Epstein reveals that he was once a fighter known as "Lightning Lou Epp." Alfred is impressed. Lou respects Donatelli and Bud Martin but is skeptical about the way that the profession of boxing has changed. He appears to genuinely care for Alfred. Alfred grows weary of the routine of training. He wants to get in the ring and spar. He is beginning to wonder what the point of it all is. In late July, Aunt Pearl has to go out of town; she leaves the girls in Queens with Dorothy and Wilson, and Alfred has the apartment to himself. Alfred runs into Major on the street one night, and Major claims that he was just "testing" Alfred that night at the clubroom when Alfred stood up to him. Major tries to get back into Alfred's life. He comes by the gym, but Bud Martin asks him to leave. Major says that James will be at a "little party" at the club that night; he wants Alfred to drop by. Henry is suspicious of Major's motives. Henry asks him to join Henry and Jelly at the movies that night. He warns against visiting the clubroom. Alfred declines and walks into the hot Friday night, telling Henry that he can take care of himself. Alfred notices other people out for a good time and questions the purpose of all the training he is doing. Alfred misses his best friend, James, and wants to get back together with him. At the end of the chapter, Alfred heads toward the clubhouse for a little visit.

When Alfred arrives at the clubroom, the party is in full swing. James, however, is not there. Major assures Alfred, whom he calls "champ," that James will show up. Sonny also refers to Alfred as "champ." It is not likely that either could grasp Mr. Donatelli's concept of the word contender. Initially, Alfred says that he can stay only a few minutes and is in training. Twice he turns down Major's offers of wine. However, the seduction of the party gets to him. Major's girlfriend, June, introduces Alfred to her cousin Arlene, a black girl with a blond wig, dizzying perfume, and an easy attitude. Alfred is surprised at how comfortably she enters his arms to dance to the low, funky blues. From Major, Alfred eventually accepts half an orange soaked with vodka. Major assures Alfred that it is good for him. The party becomes "a sweet, sticky blur." Arlene encourages Alfred to try marijuana, which he does. The only light in the clubroom burns out. More wine and marijuana come around. Alfred feels like he is in a nice, dark movie. The next morning, still at the party, Alfred feels sick, halfway between intoxication and a hangover. James finally arrives and appears to have been living the hell of an addict. His face is thin. His eyes are sunken. His suit looks too big for him. He has come for a fix. Alfred tries to apologize for the burglar alarm at the grocer and to remind James of their friendship. "That was kid stuff," says James. He takes a packet of white powder from Hollis and prepares to have a fix; Alfred wants to stop him but is too stoned himself to speak. Alfred falls to the floor and passes out.

Alfred parties all Friday night and well into Saturday. It is now Saturday night. He has somehow made his way back to Aunt Pearl's apartment, where he has passed out on the linoleum kitchen floor in a pool of his own sweat. The aggravating sound of the ringing telephone finally brings him to consciousness. It is Aunt Pearl calling to say that she won't return until Thursday. She wants Alfred to call Dorothy the next morning, before church, to tell her that Pearl will pick up the girls Thursday night. Alfred barely hears her. He stumbles to the living room, where he passes out in front of the television. Later, Alfred passes out in the bathroom and finally ends up on the couch. On Sunday morning, he is sick and can't remember the specifics of Aunt Pearl's message. Around 8:00 that morning, Major telephones to remind Alfred that they are going to Coney Island in a few minutes. Major arrives in a stolen white Cadillac convertible. Hollis, Sonny, and a younger boy named Justin are with him. Alfred reluctantly joins them, and Major drives, often recklessly, to Coney Island. While double-parked in a crowd in front of a lunch stand, Hollis notices policemen checking for drivers' licenses and registrations. The boys abandon the car and split up, Alfred spraining his ankle in the process. Having escaped to relative safety, Alfred realizes that he has not eaten since noon Friday, almost two full days ago. He buys spare ribs, buttered corn, and French fries, washing them down quickly with a Pepsi. He remembers but ignores Donatelli's warning against such greasy foods. Soon, Alfred is vomiting over the boardwalk railing and onto himself. Later he rests in an air-conditioned movie theater and manages to keep down two cups of ice cream. By early evening, Alfred has returned by subway to Harlem. He soaks the ankle but won't try to run the next morning. He isn't going to be a boxer anyway. He goes to work Monday and Tuesday but skips his workouts at the gym. Tuesday night, while just wandering around Harlem, he finds himself in front of the gym and decides to go in and clean out his locker. Oddly, he feels tears in his eyes as he stuffs his gear into a paper shopping bag. Mr. Donatelli is in the gym but ignores him. Alfred finally calls to his mentor, says goodbye, and offers an apology. Donatelli says there is no need to apologize. Alfred asks if he would have been any good if he had continued. Donatellis answers that there is no way to know. Alfred asks if he could have been a contender. Donatelli tells him that only Alfred could answer that question, in time. Donatelli says that, as a manager, he would know about Alfred only after he was seriously hurt in the ring for the first time; but Alfred will know then, too. Lipsyte subtly shifts the verb tense in the conversation. Initially, the tense is conditional, with words like would, indicating that Alfred isn't planning to follow through with boxing. But by the end of the conversation, Alfred and Donatelli speak in future tense — "Will you tell me then?" — indicating that Alfred will continue training. Through all of this, Alfred is tempted to blame Major. However, Alfred finally is ready to grow up and accept responsibility: "Don't blame him, man, he didn't pour all that stuff into you at the party. You did that," he says to himself. Major did not force him to go along that day. It was Alfred's choice. Alfred realizes that he has no one to blame but himself.

Alfred is back in training, with renewed intensity. He makes remarkable progress even though the most praise that he receives from Mr. Donatelli is when the mentor says, "Not bad." Alfred knows that, coming from Donatelli, this is very high praise. Alfred spars with Angel, Denny, and Jose and learns how to defeat each of them. Lou Epstein drops by the gym and exchanges greetings with Bud Martin. Bud mentions recently seeing Kid Ryan, a former fighter who once had a great match with Lou. Ryan is not doing well financially, and Lou gives Bud some money to pass on to Kid Ryan anonymously. As they leave the gym together, Lou offers to teach Alfred how to run the cash register.

As usual, Alfred's eyes snap open at 5:30 sharp on the morning of his first fight. However, he will not take his usual run this day. Aunt Pearl wonders if he is sick. Alfred is evasive, because he doesn't want her to worry about the fight and is concerned that she might try to stop him from doing it. He says he has a secret. Aunt Pearl respects that. Henry comes by at 10:00, and he and Alfred meet Mr. Donatelli for lunch at noon. Alfred and Henry take a taxi to Spoon's apartment where Alfred can rest through the afternoon. They are impressed by Spoon's expansive collection of books. Spoon gets home a little after 3:30; his wife, Betty, arrives shortly thereafter and prepares Alfred's pre-fight meal. Spoon speaks briefly of education and tells Alfred that he could finish high school at night if he wanted to. Alfred lies down and dozes until Henry awakens him. Donatelli has come to ride with them, in Spoon's car, to the Long Island City Union Hall, a large, shabby building that hosts that night's amateur fight card. Alfred is matched with another lightweight (about 135 pounds) named Rivera. Following amateur rules, they are scheduled for three 2-minute rounds. Rivera is short, wide, muscular, and relatively immobile. Donatelli advises Alfred to "stick and run," which recalls the tactic Alfred used so effectively against Denny, a similar fighter, in the sparring described in Chapter 13. Unfortunately, Alfred is numb with nervousness as he comes out of his corner and walks into Rivera's opening punch to Alfred's mouth. Nevertheless, Alfred quickly recovers and fights well, hitting and moving, until he listens to the jeering of the crowd, taunting him for his evasive fighting tactics. Alfred stands and fights, playing to Rivera's strength, and ends up on the canvas with the referee counting over him. The bell rings to end the first round as the referee reaches "three." Through the second and most of the third rounds, Alfred fights intelligently, following Donatelli's advice to "stick and run," despite the boos and insults from the crowd. At the end of the fight, however, Alfred thinks he can move in and fight the weary Rivera at close range. Although he has some success with this approach, Rivera hits him in the groin with a painful blow at the final bell. Alfred wins the fight, but Donatelli is displeased that Alfred allowed himself to be hit at the end. Back at the apartment after the fight, Aunt Pearl shows concern over Alfred's injuries but reveals that she, too, had a dream when she was seventeen — to join the chorus at the Apollo Theater — but her mother would not allow it. She doesn't necessarily regret the way her life turned out (she has no idea if anything might have come of the singing opportunity), but she regrets not having the chance to try. The lessons Alfred is learning are as important as any match: If he listens to Donatelli, he does well; if he does not, he is on the canvas. Henry's role expands in this chapter. He is responsible for Alfred's welfare throughout the hours leading up to the fight and is an assistant trainer in Alfred's corner. He also serves an important function within the novel, because it is Henry who tells Alfred that police raided the clubroom and found marijuana and heroin. James was there during the raid, but he escaped arrest, as did everyone except Sonny and Justin.

In November, Alfred has his second amateur fight, this one against a very fast and skillful boxer named Griffin. Donatelli wants Alfred to move in against Griffin and use combinations as he did when sparring against the speedy Angel. Alfred tries but runs into the red blur of Griffin's gloves. The first two rounds are all Griffin's, as he stings Alfred with what seems like hundreds of pitter-pat blows. Alfred needs a knockout. In the third round, Griffin tires and begins to miss. Alfred hits him with a combination, the last punch a magnificent hook that leaves Griffin twitching and then lying dead-still on the canvas. Alfred wins the fight but feels alone and sick. He wonders if he has killed Griffin. He has not, but the image haunts him through the next day. This is an indication that Alfred may not have the killer instinct necessary for a career as a professional boxer. Alfred is developing well and wins a fight that he could easily have lost, but he is more concerned that he might injure his opponent than he is with winning.

The family gathers at the home of Uncle Wilson and Aunt Dorothy for Thanksgiving. Despite Wilson's usual display of pompous authority, Alfred thinks it is the best Thanksgiving ever. He is surprised that he gets along so well with his cousin Jeff, the college boy. Jeff expresses an interest in boxing, and Alfred is curious about his cousin's plans after college. Initially intending to work in Africa with the Peace Corps, Jeff is having second thoughts. He wonders if he might not do more good by staying home and working with black communities in the inner-city. Alfred surprises Aunt Pearl by expressing an interest in finishing high school. He and Jeff discuss the idea of black recreation centers. When Alfred returns home, the appearance of James, who looks like a "shuddering old man" hiding behind a garbage can near the front entrance to the building, disturbs Alfred. James wants help, in the form of money. When Alfred offers food and shelter, James insists that he needs money for just one more drug fix. With regret, Alfred gives him six dollars, and James immediately takes off. Alfred has mixed feelings about boxing. He enjoys the workouts and the camaraderie at Donatelli's Gym, but the violence of the sport bothers him. As Alfred and his cousin Jeff become friends, he and Jeff find a common ground in their belief that they can contribute to a growing independence of the black community.

Alfred has two matches scheduled in December. The first is against a fighter named Barnes who is not as quick as Griffin or as strong as Rivera but is a rough customer who fights dirty. Donatelli's approach is to have Alfred stick and move, punishing Barnes while staying away from him. Alfred defends himself but offers very little offense. The fight is a draw. Back at the gym after the fight, Donatelli tells Alfred that it is time to quit boxing; but Alfred insists that he must fight one more time. Mr. Donatelli cares most about Alfred as a person. He tells him frankly that he does not have the killer instinct necessary to succeed in the ring; further, Donatelli says he is not sure he would want Alfred to have it. Alfred insists that he must fight the one match left on his schedule to finish what he has begun. Donatelli warns him that Alfred's record probably will cause him to be matched against a fighter who is much better than his previous opponents. He could get hurt. Alfred reminds Donatelli of what the manager once said about being a contender. He can't quit until he has really tried. Alfred understands that he can be a contender in life as well as in the ring, but he must first finish what he has started and prove to himself that he is a contender.

Alfred prepares for his last fight, at Parkway Gardens in Brooklyn, as he did the others, but he is noticeably more nervous. The fight will be the climax of Alfred's climb, just as, structurally, it is the climax of the novel. All other activity has led to this crescendo. As they wait at Spoon's apartment, Henry tries to calm Alfred and reflects on his own budding career as a trainer. Alfred is especially important to the neophyte assistant manager because he was the first fighter entrusted to Henry by Mr. Donatelli. Henry reveals that it was he who bought the white terry-cloth robe for Alfred prior to the first fight. He feels that he has found his role in managing; he doesn't limp as much now that he has more important things to think about. After Alfred retires from the ring, Donatelli will allow Henry to train some of the newcomers. Spoon arrives and tells of an altercation at school with a boy named Herbert Davis who pulled a knife on him. He spent the afternoon counseling Davis, suggesting that he go to the gym to try boxing. Foreshadowing the novel's ending, Spoon tells Alfred that he has spoken with a doctor at a narcotics clinic about James; but Alfred says that he has not been able to find his old friend in the neighborhood. In the dressing room before the bout, an official informs Donatelli that the only available opponent for Alfred is Elston Hubbard, the older, bigger ex-Marine who was so impressive opening the card the night of Alfred's first fight. Donatelli wants to cancel the match, concerned that Alfred will be hurt. Alfred reminds the manager that Donatelli once told him that the only sure way to judge a fighter is to see him when he is hurt. Alfred feels that he must fight Hubbard. Hubbard is overwhelming. Alfred is on the canvas within seconds of the sound of the opening bell. He is down again before the first round ends. His performance improves some in the second round; he manages to jab and move, to fight back, and he is only decked once. During the break between the second and third rounds, the referee asks Donatelli if he wants the fight to continue. Henry asserts himself and insists that Alfred must have his chance. Donatelli says, "Let him fight." Round three is a war. Alfred takes tremendous punishment but stays on his feet, standing toe-to-toe with Hubbard and fighting as well and as hard as he possibly can. Neither man hears the final bell; they have to be pulled apart. In a unanimous decision, the judges correctly declare Elston Hubbard the winner of Alfred's last boxing match, but Donatelli knows that Alfred has won the most important fight. Back in the locker room, he is smiling when he says, "Now you know, Alfred. Now you know, too." Alfred is seriously hurt. His vision is blurred. The crowd is insane. He faces a bigger, better, meaner fighter. He cannot win. And he doesn't care. He stands toe-to-toe with Hubbard. He will not back off. He is "gonna stand here all day and all night, . . . gonna climb, man, gonna keep climbing, you can't knock me out, nobody ever gonna knock me out, you wanna stop me you better kill me." Alfred goes the distance. Lipsyte foreshadows that Alfred will always go the distance; it just won't be in a boxing ring.

When Alfred returns home after his last match, Aunt Pearl is visibly upset. Alfred quickly explains that he is so late because everyone went to eat at a restaurant where Jelly now works. However, Aunt Pearl is not concerned about Alfred's tardiness or even the injuries to his face. James is in trouble. He broke through Epsteins' front window earlier that night, cutting himself but escaping as the police arrived. He is hurt and in hiding. Alfred knows where, and he takes off running to find him. James is in the cave in the park when Alfred arrives. He is bleeding badly from a cut on his arm but is more concerned about scoring another fix. Alfred wants to take him to the hospital, warning James that he could lose his arm if not his life if he does not get medical attention soon. Alfred reminds James of their long friendship and encourages him about the future, but James has little hope. He says the police will arrest him. James fears incarceration for violating probation rules. As for the future, he is sure that "Whitey" won't allow him to succeed. Alfred quickly tries to convince James to adopt a different attitude, but his old friend has not learned the lessons of life that now bolster Alfred and help him to overcome adversity. Finally, Alfred simply acts as though he is leaving. Facing isolation, James gives in. With James leaning heavily on Alfred, the two exit the cave and start for the hospital.