Racism
Phillips chooses to write about three British men whose only other shared feature is their ethnicity; they're all of African origin, but they live in England and America. The narratives are connected by the struggles which each one experiences because they belong to a racial minority. By the end of the book, Phillips has presented a fairly accurate judgement against Britain's long history of racism. He demonstrates how slavery in America and racial profiling by the police in England connect the stories of Barber and Oluwale. Neither of them had the opportunity to really prove themselves because the voices of their oppressors spread rumors. In the end reputation becomes their undoing, even though the men themselves had done nothing wrong. Their narratives, together, illustrate the severe and thorough consequences of racism for ethnic minorities throughout the centuries.
Overcoming Poverty
Turpin's story best demonstrates the theme of overcoming poverty, but the other two men also come from poverty, having left Africa with nothing. Turpin stands out, however, because his story is crafted in a way which highlights his struggle with money. Raised dirt poor by a single mom, he and his brothers always sought a way to help their family. When the older boys take up boxing, Turpin pursues it until he's the best -- world champion. He is inexperienced financially, however, never having had money before let alone extreme wealth. He mismanages his money as well as falling prey to the flattery of many people cozying up to him for a piece of his fortune. Turpin goes from poor to rich overnight, but the transition is too dramatic, and he's unprepared to steward his new wealth well. He does, however, understand the process of acquiring wealth, having rose from nothing to world champion.
The Indignity of Aging
This theme statement sounds like it refers to the physical deterioration of the body over time, but actually it refers to the harsh but unstoppable progress of time. Each of the characters encounter trouble late in life, when it is simply too late to start over. Having achieved brilliant success and then lost it, they are all forced to finish their lives with a sense of loss. They earned fortunes and built reputations and then lost them. Because they're middle aged or older by the time misfortune strikes, none of them has the opportunity to try again. In Turpin's case, he grows up in poverty, becomes instantly rich, and dies homeless. All of his success amounts to nothing in the end because of the indignity of aging. He's too old to keep boxing because his body is aging and his time on earth is simply limited, and he's too poor to learn a new skill. In the end, each of the protagonists is forced to reconcile with their impending deaths.
