Genre
Sports Fiction
Setting and Context
The story is primarily set in Reno, Nevada.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel employs a third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
Intense, Bleak, Isolated
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Rose Mueller, Rachel Doricko, Artemis Victor, Andi Taylor, Izzy Lang, Iggy Lang, Kate Heffer, and Tanya Maw Antagonist: Each of the characters becomes an antagonist to one another in the boxing ring.
Major Conflict
The major conflict revolves around the intense boxing matches, but more significantly, it is the girls’ battle for self-identity, control, and validation. They fight for victory as each is also struggling with personal demons—whether it is familial pressure, past trauma, or the need to prove themselves.
Climax
The climax comes in the final bout where Rachel Doricko defeats Artemis Victor, and Rose Mueller wins the championship against her.
Foreshadowing
Throughout the novel, there are subtle hints of the outcomes of the matches. For example, Kate Heffer's meticulous nature and her need for control foreshadow her undoing when she cannot control the chaos of the ring. Similarly, Artemis’s intense pressure to prove herself foreshadows her breakdown in the later rounds.
Understatement
Bullwinkel uses understatement, particularly in how the girls process their losses. Rather than dramatic outbursts, many characters internalize their defeat.
Allusions
The novel alludes to themes of feminine identity and adolescence as well as the challenges young women face in sports.
Imagery
Vivid imagery abounds in descriptions of the matches. The sound of gloves hitting skin, the sweat on the fighters’ brows, and the lighting of the gym all contribute to a visceral reading experience.
Paradox
The novel explores the paradox of boxing as both a destructive and empowering act.
Parallelism
Bullwinkel draws parallels between the characters’ lives outside the ring and their behavior inside it.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
A “ponytail” is a metonymy for a hairstyle that resembles the tail of a pony
Personification
“The wind, which is just the normal movement of air throughout the building, feels strong, almost as if it’s blowing at her.”
The statement personifies the wind.
