The books The Contender by Robert Lipsyte and Tunes for Bears to Dance To by Robert Cormier have young male protagonists that share the quality of vulnerability, but not in a troubling way. Their unique yet similar situations are what exposes this in each character. Both boys are greatly and positively affected by their vulnerability.
Alfred, the main character in The Contender, is an African-American boy growing up in 1960s Harlem. He wants to become a boxer, and choose the “right” life path for himself, because of all the dreadful things happening around him. By allowing himself to be vulnerable to the bad in his life, Alfred gets the motivation to turn it around. Living close to poverty, he is constantly surrounded by drugs and bad people, and lives a very poor lifestyle. This is what pushes him to become a boxer, and change his life for the better. “‘I’m gonna be somebody,’ he said, feeling his throat tighten up again. She surrounded him with her soft arms. ‘You somebody right now, Alfred. A good, God-fearing boy, minds his aunt, …show more content…
Henry befriends an old man called Mr. Levine, a Holocaust survivor recreating his hometown out of wood carvings. The boy’s vulnerability to having lost a family member is what helps strengthen his connection with Mr. Levine. He knows what it feels like to have lost someone very close to you pass away, so he relates to the old man in a special way. Additionally, Mr. Levine is reminded of his son by Henry, which contributes even more to their bond. “‘Mr. Levine is alone in the world. Has no family...His wife dead, and his children. I think you remind him of his son. He looks at you fondly…’” (Cormier 26). Building this friendship brings light to his life; it helps him deal with his brother’s passing, his family’s lack of money, and his father’s
Alfred, the main character in The Contender, is an African-American boy growing up in 1960s Harlem. He wants to become a boxer, and choose the “right” life path for himself, because of all the dreadful things happening around him. By allowing himself to be vulnerable to the bad in his life, Alfred gets the motivation to turn it around. Living close to poverty, he is constantly surrounded by drugs and bad people, and lives a very poor lifestyle. This is what pushes him to become a boxer, and change his life for the better. “‘I’m gonna be somebody,’ he said, feeling his throat tighten up again. She surrounded him with her soft arms. ‘You somebody right now, Alfred. A good, God-fearing boy, minds his aunt, …show more content…
Henry befriends an old man called Mr. Levine, a Holocaust survivor recreating his hometown out of wood carvings. The boy’s vulnerability to having lost a family member is what helps strengthen his connection with Mr. Levine. He knows what it feels like to have lost someone very close to you pass away, so he relates to the old man in a special way. Additionally, Mr. Levine is reminded of his son by Henry, which contributes even more to their bond. “‘Mr. Levine is alone in the world. Has no family...His wife dead, and his children. I think you remind him of his son. He looks at you fondly…’” (Cormier 26). Building this friendship brings light to his life; it helps him deal with his brother’s passing, his family’s lack of money, and his father’s