| The Power of One is a coming of age story revolving around a young British boy named Peekay. When the boy's mother suffers from a nervous breakdown he is sent off to a boarding school. This school is full of Boers, Afrikaaners who hate the British for trying to control the government. This is where Peekay first experiences extreme hatred for being different. He is tortured and demeaned by an older boy who he calls "The Judge".
This boy and his friends pee on him, beat, make him eat feces and kill his animal friend in the time that Peekay is at the first boarding school. After two years, Peekay is called back home which is now in Barberton. In order to get to his new home he must take a train ride that will forever change his life. On the train Peekay meets Hoppie Groenwald, a pro welter weight boxer that teaches Peekay, "First with the head, then with the heart that's how you'll get ahead from the start". He plants the dream in Peekay to become welter weight champion of the world. He also becomes the first friend of Peekays. When Peekay arrives in Barberton (his new home) he soon meets Doc. An elderly gentleman who becomes a mentor and friend to Peekay. Doc gets arrested for being a German alien during the war and gets taken to Barberton Prison. While visiting Doc at the prison Peekay meets his first boxing coaches, Luitenant Smit and Geel Piet. Geel Piet is a black man, so he is discriminated against. Soon Geel Piet becomes more than a boxing coach to Peekay, he becomes a friend. When Geel is brutally murdered Peekay witnesses the first death of a friend. As Peekay's boxing career progresses he never loses a boxing match. He becomes known to the blacks as the "Tadpole Angel" Soon Peekay goes to a second boarding school where he meets another important friend, Maury, a witty Jewish boy. They quickly bond, Maury starts to manage the wrestling team and seeing Peekays talent, the two begin a betting ring. They rake in the winnings because Peekay NEVER loses. When Peekay returns home on break from school he hears that Doc had gone missing, he soon figures out he has passes away and has to come to grips with losing his first best friend. Peekay sees the inequality in the education of blacks and starts up a night school for the black boxers which is quickly shut down by authorities. Peekay applies to Oxford, gets accepted but does not get the scholarship he needs to attend. He decides to take a year off between school and college and work in the mines to earn the money. Peekay finishes the mining classes and starts working. A man living in the camps befriends him, his name is Rasputin. Although the two do not speak the same language the connect through classical music and share a silent commradarie. One day while working in the mine an explosion does not go as planned and Peekay is trapped beneath tons of rubble. Rasputin comes to his rescue and save him, in the process losing his own life. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - depressed Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Political/social activism Yes Plotlet: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Parents/lack of parents problem? Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - a kid Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - a teen Profession/status: How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - below average Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 9 () Africa Yes Kind of Africa: - White Enclave Mountains/Cliffs Yes Mountains: - climbing on trails Misc setting Writing Style Lot of foul language? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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