logo

56 pages 1 hour read

Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: A Personal History of Violence

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1995

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Key Figures

Geoffrey Canada

Canada is the narrator and central figure of the memoir. He lives, along with his mother and his three brothers, in the South Bronx: a dangerous and complicated environment which he must learn, over the course of the book, how to navigate.

In ways that are both lucky and problematic, Canada is a fast learner. Even while he frequently describes himself as confused and floundering, he seems to hide this feeling quite well around his peers. We as readers have access to his innermost fears and doubts, but his peers, for the most part, do not. This is because one thing that Canada quickly learns is the importance, in his neighborhood, of not showing your feelings, especially those of vulnerability and confusion. He also learns how to walk down the street in such a way that looks confident and tough; how to “trash talk” with the older boys in his neighborhood; and, especially, how to fight.

Canada is smart in school, as well as street smart, and is observant and sensitive. He must struggle to reconcile these different sides of his nature and learn how to survive in the Bronx while remaining true to himself. In this, he has an important role model in Mike, his older friend in the neighborhood.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 56 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools