Black Brother, Black Brother

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Part 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “Bout”

Part 3, Chapter 23 Summary: “Happiness”

The Ellisons provide outfits for other students at the Boys and Girls Club. On Saturdays, Zion, Zarra, Trey, and Donte help teach other students of fencing. One student asks Trey if Donte’s adopted, and Trey explains that they’re biracial. Zarra adds that it’s like her and Zion, just a different mix of DNA. Donte appreciates how Zarra and Zion understand his relationship with Trey. Zarra also compliments him, calling him the best fencer among them. She shows everyone a milk opal and then pulls out another one for Donte’s mom.

At the end of the chapter, Coach declares: “We’re ready for a meet” (156).

Part 3, Chapter 24 Summary: “Etiquette”

Fencing matches—or bouts—begin with each fencer saluting the other with their foil. The referee then declares “On guard” and “Fence” to begin the bout (157) Bouts are made up of three three-minute periods. Whoever scores the most in three periods wins (or whoever makes it to five points first). Mutual respect between fencers is key to the sport.

Part 3, Chapter 25 Summary: “Tournament”

Zion, Zarra, Trey, and Donte are at their first tournament. Coach is clearly nervous, but Donte isn’t sure why. It’s a preseason tournament and schools from across Boston are there, including Middlefield Prep. Coach reminds them that they belong there. Donte begins to feel nervous, never having competed in a sport before.

Zarra fences first. Someone calls out as her bout begins: “Hey, black girl!” (162). It is most likely Alan. Immediately, her opponent scores on her. She gets one point, but her opponent gets another before time runs out, making Zarra lose. She doesn’t take her fencing mask off because she’s crying. Donte is enraged and wants to get revenge. Trey looks down, knowing that he won’t be teased like his teammates. Donte wishes Coach would comfort Zarra.

As Donte prepares for his bout, he hears “Black brother, black brother” echoing in his head. He feels thrown off his game. The match starts. He attacks first, but his opponent deflects. Then, a touch is scored on him, then another. Donte doesn’t do much to engage. As they shake hands, his opponent whispers: “First match is always the hardest” (168). His kindness touches Donte, who thinks about how much he likes fencing and how fair the match was, even though he lost.

None of the children on Coach’s team win their bouts, but Donte tries to cheer them up: “Look around […] No one expected us to be here. We’re here. My darker brother” (168). Zion and Trey admit they had fun, and Donte tells Zarra that she did well. She hugs him, and then everyone joins in.

Part 3, Chapter 26 Summary: “Aftermath”

At the end of the day, Coach asks the Ellisons to take Zion and Zarra home so that he can speak with Donte privately. Donte worries and is unsure why. Then he realizes that ever since he was arrested, he feels like life could go badly at any moment.

They get donuts, and Coach tells Donte that he’s proud of him for rallying the team. Donte explains how much he enjoys fencing: “[t]he speed, the flick of the foil. The rush inside my head” (172). Coach tells him how much Donte reminds him of himself, and his happiness is obvious.

A man comes over, insulting Coach by saying: “Well, if it isn’t Arden […] Teaching your bad lessons?” (174). Coach doesn’t engage and introduces the man to Donte as Jonathan Michael. Behind him is the boy Donte fenced. Jonathan tries to anger Coach again, adding: “You’ve forgotten your disgrace?” (174). Coach evades, and the boy introduces himself as Nate. When Nate puts out a hand to shake with Coach Arden, Jonathan slaps it away, saying that Coach is “dishonorable.” Still, Donte’s teacher remains calm.

Jonathan continues to lob insults, talking vaguely about the past and how Coach shouldn’t be teaching. Donte realizes that the man is a grown-up version of Alan.

Part 3, Chapter 27 Summary: “Car Talk”

In the car, Coach allows Donte to ask him again about why he stopped fencing. He explains that he wasn’t confident enough to ignore people like Jonathan Michael. They’d been on the USA Fencing National Championships Team, and Michael harassed him for being Black. Coach ended up throwing a match. Looking back, it is his “biggest regret […] Disrespecting my opponent. My team. Giving in to Michael’s prejudice. For what? Pure spite” (181).

Donte is disappointed and thinks about how similar they are. They stay silent, and Donte breathes in and out, holding his breaths for three seconds between each inhale. Eventually, he asks if Michael told on him, and Coach responds that he hadn’t. Coach stopped fencing, but he thinks of himself as responsible, even if others can’t see properly. He tells Donte: “Be you. Stay confident, visible. Even if others can’t see you” (183).

Coach asks again why Donte wants to fence. Donte realizes he wants to fence because he wants to be the best, not just because he wants to beat Alan.

Donte asks if Coach would have told him everything if they hadn’t run into Michael, and Coach admits that he hopes so. He says he’s made his peace and that teaching Donte has taught him to forgive himself. Donte is amazed that he has been teaching Coach too.

Part 3 Analysis

This section contains exposition, explaining the nuances of fencing tournaments that will be necessary for the reader in the novel’s final section. It also highlights the role that respect, honor, and etiquette play in the sport. The Boys and Girls Club fencing team works hard to participate with honor—something that their Coach values very highly—but others, like Alan, don’t.

Coach emphasizes that Donte, Zion, Zarra, and Trey belong just as much as anyone else. Yet, they have visibility as fencers of color, making them feel more nervous than they already do. This is especially true for Zarra, who is harassed by Alan, touching on the theme of Navigating Intersectional Identities and highlighting racism. Zarra is discriminated against for both her race and gender. However, she will succeed in the next tournament, especially after researching other female fencers of color for inspiration.

When he meets Jonathan Michael, Donte realizes that that Alan’s bigotry isn’t just due to immaturity; it’s something that can continue into adulthood. The conversation with Michael is another illustration of how fencing skills work outside of fencing. Donte is able to see the ways in which Coach used strategy, “deciding when and which parry to use” whenever his old teammate tried to goad him (124).

We learn why Jones has remained so mysterious about his past. He has not wanted to show where he has failed in being honorable as a fencer. Coaching Donte, Zarra, Zion, and Trey have helped him to forgive himself for throwing a match, which, to him, was disrespectful to his opponent. There is a covenant between fencers to perform their best and Coach violated this by not putting his all into the match.

The motif of passing appears again when Zarra explains the genetics behind how Donte can have dark skin while his brother light. This only makes Donte appreciate her more and continues to highlight how race is much more than what one can see. The Visibility and Invisibility of Race is also prevalent in the first tournament that the team attends. Most of the teams surrounding them are full of white students, which is partly due to the fact that private schools are more likely to have a fencing team than public schools.

Donte’s growth is apparent in this section. Being involved in a sport has made him more confident. He enjoys fencing—not just because he wants to beat Alan, but for the practice itself. While he lost, he encourages the team to be proud of themselves, which Coach lauds him for after the tournament is over. Coach illustrates that Donte continues to grow as a fencer and as a person. He says: “Watching your focus, your joy, I knew you were born to fence (173). While Donte’s first bout intimidates him, he enjoys the setting; he emphasizes to his teammates that no one expected them to be there, yet here they are.