6-27-14

"It's the climbing that makes the man; getting to the top is the extra reward." (35)

Alfred meets with Donatelli and finally is given someone he can look up to. In his life, Alfred grows up without good influences or anyone that pushes him to do anything. He isn't given a lot of opportunities or support, and has no idea what he can accomplish. By stating that it's the "climbing that makes the man", the speaker says the journey that is one's life shapes a person. All events in someone's life help to shape them and can change them mentally and physically. If one doesn't attempt to accomplish anything, they never will. Also, if someone never set out to do anything, how can they have those building experiences? In The Contender, Alfred is not really his own person. The thoughts that run through his head have been put there by all the people around him. He doesn't even have an opinion about himself, he only associates words with him that are being used by others to reference himself. Without an opinion on his life, he will not strive to do anything, and cannot 'climb'. In chapter 3, Alfred says he "wants to be somebody", but if he can't be himself, how can he be anyone? Alfred needs to start the climb and accept who he is so that he can start to grow as a person. To be able to grow, he has to take his own opinion into account and not have his life revolve around other people.