125 pages 4 hours read

James Patterson, Kwame Alexander

Becoming Muhammad Ali

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Character Analysis

Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali

Cassius Clay is the protagonist of Becoming Muhammad Ali, which spans his life from ages 12 to 17 and illustrates the earliest and formative years of his boxing career. When the novel opens, Cassius already believes that he is destined to be “the greatest.” Boxing, over the course of the novel, becomes his means of achieving this goal. Becoming Muhammad Ali is framed by the first two national Golden Gloves championship in Chicago in which he participated, in 1958 and 1959. He loses in 1958, and the book flashes back to just before he began the sport.

Cassius lives in the West End neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, with his family, and he contends daily with the racism toward people of color in the Jim Crow South. He knows that racism doesn’t make any sense and believes that everyone should be treated equally. However, he hears stories from his parents and his grandfather of the violence of racism, and Mrs. Clay warns him to be especially careful.

A key moment for Cassius is the theft of his red bicycle. The bicycle is a symbol of Cassius finally getting what he deserves when society has tried to pull him down, and its theft leaves Cassius angry.

Related Titles

By these authors

Study Guide

logo

1st to Die

James Patterson

1st to Die

James Patterson

Plot Summary

logo

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Plot Summary

logo

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Cross Down

James Patterson

Cross Down

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

Plot Summary

logo

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Holmes, Marple & Poe

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Holmes, Marple & Poe: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Study Guide

logo

I Funny

James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

I Funny: A Middle School Story

James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

Plot Summary

logo

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Plot Summary

logo

Nevermore

James Patterson

Nevermore

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Rebound

Kwame Alexander

Rebound

Kwame Alexander

Plot Summary

logo

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Plot Summary

logo

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Study Guide

logo

Solo

Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Solo

Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Plot Summary

logo

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson