Negative Effects Of Alfred In The Contender

In literature, certain characters can have positive and negative effects on one or more characters. These characters can influence others to fall into peer pressure and do something they don’t want todo. Though without any influence at all can alter the characters choices from deciphering right from wrong. These characters are portrayed in the book The Contender. Alfred is negatively influenced by Major and Sunny, though at certain parts in the book Hollis tags along due to peer pressure. Alfred is negatively influenced when Major, Sunny and Hollis go and try to rob the Epstein’s grocery store. He is positively influenced by Mr. Donatelli and Frank by motivating him to fight and rise to the top. Mr. Donatelli influences him in a positive way by making Alfred eat and train right. Due to this when Alfred listens to him he stays out of trouble when he stays in the gym. There are three main characters that negatively effect Alfred. Major negatively effects Alfred by making fun of him for working for Jewish folk saying “How much them Jews give you for slavin, Uncle Alfred?”(4). James also adds weight to this by always getting into drugs and crime. Alfred struggles to get him off drugs and to regain his trust. The last character that continues to negatively effect Alfred is Hollis. Hollis continues through the book to

Epstein and Spoon. Mr. Donatelli continues to push Alfred and steer him in the right direction by training and sharing his knowledge of boxing to him, “You get up at five-thirty every morning before the gas fumes foul the air, and you run in the park. That’s to build up your legs and wind” (33).Mr. Epstein and Alfred have made a unbreakable kinship with each other and due to this Mr.Epstein pays for Alfred’s boxing lessons. On the other hand Spoon is not there physically until the night of Alfred’s big fight though plays as a role model for Alfred that keeps him hungry for