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Copywork
About This Passage
This sentence holds the quiet heart of the chapter. Robert Cohn learned to box not because he loved it, but so that he would feel safe and brave after he was treated unfairly at Princeton for being Jewish. The surprising part is that his comfort did not come from fighting at all; it came from simply knowing he could stand up for himself if he ever needed to. And because Cohn was a shy, kind boy, he never once used his fists outside the gym. Copying the sentence helps a young reader notice that real strength can stay gentle, and that feeling brave on the inside can matter more than proving it to anyone.
There was a certain inner comfort in knowing he could knock down anybody who was snooty to him, although, being very shy and a thoroughly nice boy, he never fought except in the gym.
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell this chapter in your own words: who Robert Cohn is, how he was treated unfairly at Princeton because he was Jewish and learned to box so he would feel less small, how being able to box gave him a feeling of comfort, and how the narrator, Jake, watches Cohn and the forceful Frances at a dinner.
Discussion Questions
- Cohn does not even like boxing, but he works hard at it anyway. Why might Cohn work so hard at something he dislikes? Use the chapter's details about Cohn to explain.
- Cohn knows how to fight, but the chapter says he 'never fought except in the gym.' Why might Cohn, who could box well, choose never to use his fists against anyone outside the gym? Use the chapter's details about Cohn to explain.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
A good, safe feeling that makes worry or fear smaller.
Item 2
Acting rude because you think you are better than others.
Item 3
To check carefully that something is really true.
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Critical Thinking
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