Not an Easy Win

Deuce is a young Black boy whom Lawrence meets at the rec center. Initially, Deuce is the primary antagonist of the novel. He bullies Lawrence because he is new at the center and then steals his earbuds and refuses to give them back. Through his actions, Lawrence learns how to remain calm and not react to being antagonized by Deuce, which facilitates Lawrence’s internal change. After Deuce and Lawrence get to know each other, bonding through Lawrence’s love of his father’s music, the two become best friends and experience The Importance of Friendship. They learn that they both have a parent in prison, which serves as a source of bonding between the two, as Lawrence can understand how Deuce feels and help him handle his emotions.

Deuce is a static character who remains largely unchanged throughout the novel. However, his character serves as a foil to Lawrence, conveying the progress that Lawrence has made. When Deuce gets into a fight at the chess tournament—giving in to the white child who provokes him—Giles demonstrates how much progress Lawrence has made. Instead of also getting involved, Lawrence breaks up the fight and then comforts Deuce. In this way, Deuce’s lashing out serves to contrast where Lawrence was at the start of the novel—fighting anyone who made fun of him—and where he is at the end of the novel—helping Deuce come to the same realization that he did.

Granny is Lawrence’s grandmother. After Lawrence’s father left, Granny allowed Lawrence, Ma, and Nikko to come live with her in her home. She also cares for her two other grandchildren, Ivy and Iris, during the week so that they are close enough to attend Andrew Jackson Elementary School. She is strict with Lawrence, serving as a mother figure while Ma is at work and insisting that he find something to do instead of staying at home all day once he is expelled. She cooks for the children each night, stretching her budget as far as she can despite her “fixed income.”

In some ways, Granny is an antagonistic force in the novel, as she helps facilitate Lawrence’s change throughout the novel. Due to Granny’s insistence that “a man that don’t work don’t eat” (12), Lawrence leaves his home early in the morning and starts his relationship with Mr. Dennis, who brings him to the rec center. She initially annoys Lawrence with her “sermons” and lectures that she gives him, with Lawrence being convinced that she just doesn’t like him. However, as Lawrence dedicates his time to the rec center, focuses on learning chess, and succeeds at his online schooling, the relationship between Granny and Lawrence grows. She begins to show him more respect, allowing him to eat with her in the kitchen and even cook dinner one night. Lawrence notes how “Granny ha[s] let [him] stand in her spot in the kitchen and do for her what she always d[oes] for [them], and she d[oes]n’t even complain” (164-65). As Granny allows Lawrence to take on more responsibility, she facilitates his maturation.

Pop is Lawrence’s father. He is physically absent from the text, present only in Lawrence’s memories of him and the conversations he has about him with other characters. Lawrence does not know where his father is, knowing only that he left home to go to prison for “an old ticket and a fine Pop had never paid” (74). Despite Pop’s absence from the novel, he is a key component of Lawrence’s ability to cope with the difficulties in his life. He constantly listens to his father’s old music, using it to distract himself when Deuce tries to fight him, focus on his chess game, and ultimately solidify his friendship with Deuce. During his match against Jada, he even thinks of how “he c[an] almost hear Pop’s voice humming along with” the choir that helps him control the tempo of his game (148).

Mr. Dennis is Lawrence’s neighbor who first takes him on the physical journey to the local rec center, where he works. This begins Lawrence’s emotional journey and maturation throughout the novel. With Pop absent in Lawrence’s life due to incarceration, Mr. Dennis serves as a father figure to Lawrence—offering him encouragement and support. Mr. Dennis functions in the novel as a mentor archetype, as he serves as a role model and imparts sage wisdom to Lawrence when he needs it most. He is a static character because he does not change throughout the novel.

Mr. Dennis is stern and enforces rules, such as no fighting at the rec center. However, he is still warm and teaches Lawrence to value discipline, patience, and responsibility. For example, he slowly teaches Lawrence how to play chess, a process that begins with extensive watching and understanding of the way others play. When he instructs him to “study each move made, and not made” (93), he teaches Lawrence lessons about not only the rules of chess but also those of life. In particular, he teaches Lawrence to better understand Blame Versus Accountability and the choices he has to control his reaction to different situations—especially when others antagonize or provoke him.

Mr. Dennis is generous. When he sees Lawrence’s commitment to chess, he allows Lawrence to take an old chess board home with him from the rec center because he cannot afford to buy one new. Working at the rec center, he values cultivating strong Black community spaces for children to spend time alongside each other and find belonging. He is encouraging and tells the students that he is proud of them, particularly Twyla and Lawrence for their performance at the chess tournament.