The Contenderby Robert Lipsyte

Vocabulary and

Literary Terms

contend

•To strive against difficulty; struggle

contender

•One who competes

ghetto• A section of a city occupied by a minority group who live there especially because of social, economic, or legal pressure.

transistor radio

marquee• A rooflike

structure, often with a signboard, projecting over an entrance

spar• To fight with an opponent in a short bout or practice session, as in boxing.

sheepish

•Embarrassed because you did something wrong

linoleum• a floor covering

• Originally a

• trademark

wino

•A poor alcoholic with no home

Boardwalk• A walkway, especially of planks, along a

beach or waterfront.

jab•To punch (someone) with short punches

catcall• A harsh word, phrase, or whistle expressing disapproval or making fun of someone.

knead•To squeeze, press, or roll with the hands, as in massaging

whimper• To cry or sob with

soft sounds; whine

• To complain

canvas• The floor of a ring in which

boxing or wrestling takes place

clinch• To hold a boxing opponent's body with one or both arms to keep him/her from punching

probation• A period in which a person's fitness, as for membership in a social group, is tested

narcotic• An addictive drug, such as heroin, that reduces pain, alters mood and behavior, and brings on sleep

addict•One who is addicted, as to narcotics

emblem•An object or a representation that functions as a symbol

unanimous•complete agreement

shallow•Lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge

Literary Terms

Plot•Sequence of events

Setting•Time and place of a novel

Irony•The outcome is not what is expected

Narrator•Person telling the story

Conflict• Struggle between opposing

forces in a novel

• Conflict can be between two people or a character can be in conflict with him/herself.

Foreshadowing•The author’s use of hints to show the reader what events will follow

Theme• Main idea; central message in a novel