Alfred Brooks is a black seventeen-year-old high school dropout who lives with his Aunt Pearl and her three daughters in Harlem. His father deserted the family when Alfred was ten years old; his mother died when he was thirteen. Alfred's story parallels the major theme of the novel, which is stated most poignantly by the fight manager, Mr. Donatelli, near the end of Chapter 3, in his speech that begins, "You have to start by wanting to be a contender." A contender is, first and foremost, a man, an adult. For the true contender, the journey is more important than the arrival. Donatelli tells Alfred that a contender is willing to pay the price. He will "sweat and bleed" to get as high as his talent, courage, and character will take him. Of course, Donatelli is speaking about life as well as boxing.
Although he has dropped out of high school, Alfred has accepted responsibility in life. Unlike James and the gang members, he has a job. Aunt Pearl praises him for that and says that she will not treat him like a little boy. But this is a "coming of age" story. At the beginning of the novel, Alfred only dreams of a life as an adult. Part of that dream is to transcend the repressive atmosphere of the mean streets of Harlem. The novel tells the story of how he achieves his dream.
Henry, a physically disabled acquaintance who aspires to become a fight manager, urges Alfred to visit Donatelli's Gym, which is famous for having trained several boxing champions. Alfred's climb up the staircase to the gym is symbolic; he is beginning his climb toward maturity. At the gym, he meets Donatelli, a wise mentor. The manager tells Alfred that nothing is promised. He should be sure that he wants to make a real effort; quitting is worse than never starting at all. Something in Alfred wants to succeed, so he begins training.
