MANHOOD SUMMARY

Mr. Willison and his son Rob were cycling for a million miles from their home. In their journey, the road begun to climb and Mr. Willison tells that they will have a rest at the top but Rob has felt so tired, his leg feel all funny, but Mr. Wilison said to him that the first thing any athlete has to learn is to break the fatigue barrier. At the top, Rob slid hastily from the saddle and flung himself full-length on the grass. And then Mr. Willison asks Rob to go but Rob said, “What? I thought we were going to have a rest.” But Mr. Willison said that they’ve got twelve miles to do and lunch is at one. Mr. Willison goes slowly but Rob still lay on the grass, and after that Me. Willison turned and sees Rob. He says that there is a present that he has bought for Rob and let’s go home right now. And then they go home. After arrived at home, Rob picked up the bicycle and they pedaled away. Rob went to his room directly because he felt so tired. Mrs. Wiliison was so angry with Mr. Willison with what he has done to Rob after cycling so far from the home. When the lunch time, Rob doesn’t go to the table and he stays in his room because he feels tired. And then Mrs. Willison asks him to take a lunch but Mr. Willison always tells him about the fight and punch-ball. When Mr. Wiliison see from the window, he says to Rob “it is bad luck, it could happen to anybody.” But Rob said he can try hard. Actually his mother doesn’t want if Rob joins to fight because it is too dangerous and it can damage his brain, but finally she lets him to fight but he has to stop after the tournament. Rob and his father will train together to prepare for the tournament but when the day comes, Rob gets ill and he has terrible in his side and thinks that he has appendicitis. But Mr. Willison doesn’t believe him because he has supervised his training for fifteen weeks and he knows Rob is as fit as a fiddle, his temperature also still normal. When the tournament comes, Rob’s opponent is Benny Crump, a large, muscular boy. Mr. Willison watched as Rob, pale and nervous from his face. When the bell is rang they begin to fight, Benny Crump hit Rob’s guard with such force that he was hit in the face by his own glove, the spectator was laughing, Rob looking miserable and confident. The second round was no less painful for Rob or Mr. Willison. With only minute to go of the round, Mr. Willison stood up and began to walk towards the exit but Rob watched him go, apparently unaware of the punches being landed on him. Mr. Willison felt at that moment a disappointment in his son that was deeper than almost any emotion he’d experienced previously. Rob struck out with all rage and resentment his father’s departure had focused on him. Benny went down and stayed down. In a daze, Rob heard the count, felt his arm hauled about his head by the referee, and saw his father, face beaming, struggling now through the crowd towards him. After it is done, they went home and Mr. Willison went downstairs and calls the doctor, Dr. Sharp and he just asks for Rob to eat well. Mr.Willison stormed about the house after the doctor had gone. Actually, Rob is trying and failing yet again to tell his father the truth about himself. Only his mother knew how much he wanted to dance. Rob made an effort to look his father. Now the he had the chance of a place at the ballet school, there wasn’t anything or anybody who was going to stand in this way.