Short Fiction · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Ring Lardner.

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Chapter 1
My Roomy
The chapter 'My Roomy' explores the dynamics of a baseball team's spring training, focusing on the narrator's relationship with his roommate, a rookie pitcher. The narrative delves into the rookie's struggles with control, both on and off the field, and the team's reactions to his behavior. Themes of mentorship, camaraderie, and the pressures of professional sports are evident as the veteran players guide the young pitcher through his challenges.
Chapter 2
I
The narrator, Pinkie, recounts meeting Jim (the heavyweight champion) and his manager Larry Moon in Omaha. Larry explains the financial and promotional difficulties of being a champion with no worthy opponents, and the plan to build up a contender to create public interest.
Chapter 3
II
In New York, Jim Dugan and Larry Moon discuss the news of a boxing match in London where Goulet stopped Bradford in the first round. Larry sees this as an opportunity to build up a championship match between Goulet and Jim, but Jim is skeptical and questions why Larry would overlook Benny Leonard.
Chapter 4
III
Larry Moon works to build public interest in a fight between French boxer Goulet and American champion Jim Dugan. He plants a story in the papers, negotiates with Goulet's manager La Chance, and outlines a plan to promote the fight over the course of a year, including a carefully selected tune-up bout for Goulet.
Chapter 5
IV
Several months pass as Dugan takes on a setup in Michigan and wins in three rounds. He then fights old Tommy Fogel in Jersey, who surprises by lasting three rounds. The public gets excited, thinking Fogel might give Dugan trouble. Later, Dugan and Larry accept a $100,000 offer to fight Joe Barnes, a tough fighter who fights five nights a week. Dugan, trained on a ship, is still at sea when he enters the ring. Barnes clips him in the second round, but Dugan recovers and stops him in the twelfth. The fight makes Dugan look beatable, boosting interest in the Goulet match.

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My Roomy

I

II

III

IV