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| Plot Summary of Power of One |
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"The Power of One is a coming of age story of a young white boy and the obstacles he faces in South Africa, a country rife with racial discrimination and hatred. At a young age he learns to box out of a desire to defend himself. Boxing continues to play a central role in his life in the challenges he faces. It is a book of immense inspiration, friendship, overcoming obstacles and self discovery."
Sara Mitchell, Resident Scholar
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"This book starts out by explaining how a young white boy named Peekay who lives on a farm with his black nanny because his mom had a mental break down. It takes place in South Africa during WWII. He goes to a Boer boarding school and is made fun of for being English.
Then he leaves because his mom comes home. He goes home on a train and the guard teaches him about boxing. He decides he wants to become a boxer. Then, he meets another guy who teaches him piano. That guy goes to jail, and Peekay learns to box there. He becomes superman (in a sense) with the perfect combination of wits and boxing ability. He goes to a new school for geniouses and furthers all of his talents.
This book is so unrealistic it is offensive. It tries to explain the difficulties of being English in South Africa but strays from this dramatically. It talks about magical chickens and other "cute" things. "
Alexander Simon, Resident Scholar
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"This story is a great book about a young English boy growing up in a South Africa with racial discrimination. The boy, Peekay is discriminated against for being English by the Boers (Dutch), but is still strong and due to his genuis and boxing skills and strength comes to lead all the tribes of Africa. "First with the head and then with the heart, that's how a man stays ahead from the start." Hoppie Groenewald, advise that Peekay will carry with him through his life.
A great book, relative to Post Colonial Literature where you are able to see the effects of the colonization of Africa. The book is humurous and easy to read, extremely enjoyable for all. It is a story of a young boys dream to rise above discrimination and to fight for racial equality."
milkiwei, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Power of One |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 1930's-1950's
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Inside culture (main char)
- British
Strong "rags to riches" component?
Yes
Culture clash?
- Being oppressed by outside culture
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- South African
If story of urban/rural...
- Small town life
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Age group of kid(s) in story:
- grade school
Something wrong upstairs/downstairs?
- searching for identity/meaning
Parents/lack of parents problem?
- Momma gone
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Age:
- a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a teen
Eccentric/Smart/Dumb:
Yes
Eccentric:
- dumb
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Dumb
Physique
- bulging muscles
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 7 ()
Africa
Yes
Kind of Africa:
- White Enclave
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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