Adulthood

Although Horace is in his early twenties, he is fairly naïve and inexperienced because he has lived and work on a ranch for the whole of his youth so far; thus, the novel functions in part as a coming-of-age story, where Horace’s character arc is defined by his explorations of what it means to be an adult. After Horace leaves Nevada and arrives in Tucson, he lives independently for the first time in his life, and he must therefore navigate the hazards and responsibilities of adulthood on his own for the first time. Horace views his boxing training as connected in spirit to his personal maturation. This idea is exemplified after Horace fails to speak up when the bus to Salt Lake City drives away without one of its passengers. Horace is ashamed of his cowardice and thinks to himself, “No champion would be...