The Contender is the story of Alfred Brooks, a black high school dropout who lives with his Aunt in Harlem and copes with his anger and frustration by boxing. The novel follows Alfred's flirtation with a life of crime, his brushes with drug culture and alcoholism, and his eventual conviction to right the course of his life and become a competitive boxer. It also deals with themes of racism, the vilification of black youths, and the perils of the criminal justice system.
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