SuitabookBelonging and imposed identity
Sonny does not fit the identity assigned to him by either the Moscondagas or white people.
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Book details
Robert Lipsyte - Author
A serious coming-of-age story about divided identity, anger and self-command. Sonny’s boxing offers a way to contain “the monster”, while New York brings danger and a demanding encounter with Alfred Brooks.
Sonny's been an outsider all his life.He has never fit into either world: the Moscondagas on the Reservation see him as white; whites see him as Indian. So far, Sonny's managed to harness his anger — what he calls "the monster" — in the boxing ring. But Sonny wants out of the Res. He's headed for New York City, where nobody can tell him what to do.Sonny doesn't count on stepping into the middle of a drug war when he gets there — or on tangling with a tough Harlem boxer-turned-cop named Alfred Brooks. Brooks seems to think that Sonny's got the talent to make it to the top — to be a contender. But first Sonny's got to learn to be smart, take control of his life, and beat the monster. Only it isn't as easy as it sounds....
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA serious coming-of-age story about divided identity, anger and self-command. Sonny’s boxing offers a way to contain “the monster”, while New York brings danger and a demanding encounter with Alfred Brooks.
Sonny does not fit the identity assigned to him by either the Moscondagas or white people.
Sonny uses boxing to harness his anger, then must learn to be smart, take control of his life and beat “the monster”.
Pay attention to how the story treats Sonny’s anger and divided identity. Ask whether boxing is presented as a constructive discipline, a pressure, or both, and how much control Sonny gains.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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