Bobby Fallon's Fierce Journey

Bobby Fallon is a formidable young soul, emblematic of Hamill's heroes, who embarks on a rigorous journey of intellect, tenacity, and endurance, where his heart and skill shine brightly. His character, shaped partly by the harsh lessons of the city streets and fueled by anger towards his father and love for his mother, carries a tragic flaw reminiscent of legendary figures like Achilles, Cuchulain, and the nameless warriors of Anglo-Saxon epics, crafting both his victories and defeats. When he fights, he succumbs to a bloodthirsty fury, a primal reflex that abruptly curtails his amateur endeavors and thrusts him, unprepared, into the spotlight of major leagues: "something else was happening: sound was coming out of me, the wild crazy screaming anger, high-pitched against the deeper darker roar of the crowd." Despite this, Bobby possesses a warm heart and shares his generosity with friends and his mother, Kate. His boyish innocence is ever-present in the boxing arena, casting a poignant shadow, underscoring life's inevitable losses: "Sooner or later in this life everybody loses. It's part of the deal."

Allies and Adversaries

On the streets, allies like Kirk, essential for survival, often betray Bobby, unlike the loyal Freddie, his trainer, who stands by him in the decisive battle, and his manager Gus, the lone positive paternal figure in his life. Gus, with his "cranky purity," keeps the defiant Bobby disciplined, imparting not only the intricacies of technique but also the elegance and transcendent nature of boxing. He instills in Bobby the virtues of patience, preparedness, and the aspiration for not just success, but excellence: "Being a fighter is like being a doctor or a lawyer or a writer in general. You gotta be a pro. You gotta be a finished pro. Anybody can be a professional, but not just anybody can be perfect," says Gus, Bobby's mentor and surrogate father.

The Haunting Presence of Jack Fallon

Jack Fallon, Bobby's real father, casts a long, enigmatic shadow over his life and career, a dark presence that never quite fades:

Wherever he went, alive or dead, you wished someone would tell him [Jack] about you. Tell him how, through you, he was still beating people in the bars of Brooklyn. Tell him how when you bent someone over a jukebox and hammered him with your hands you were doing it to get Jack Fallon out of the room forever.

Bobby inherits his father's penchant for drinking and a tempestuous temper, as well as a reckless abandon. He strives to uphold Jack's notoriety in the neighborhood: "how good he was with his hands [meaning fighting], and how all the ladies loved him, and what a handsome bastard he was, and Jesus, how he had heart. They never said he had a good heart." Jack Fallon, "who left them all so empty when finally he went away and never came back," is the "ghost of the gambler with the murderous hands" whom Bobby must chase, even through a complex relationship with his mother, Kate. When Jack's initial desertion is compounded by his betrayal through match-fixing the final fight, thereby robbing Bobby of the championship, Bobby confronts his father, severing his ties to Jack's influence.

Kate's Complex Love

Kate, Bobby's mother, also searches for the absent Jack through her son. Alternately her son's guardian and temptress, she is perceived as exotically alluring due to Bobby's childhood memories of her heated interactions with his father. Yet, she also offers a haven from the violence of the outside world. Waiting for her in Kings County Jail's holding room early in the story, Bobby notices...