This is proven with many examples throughout the text.

“I say, ‘Don’t lose your heart, Rube.’ My brother answers me. He says, ‘I’m not tryin’ to lose it, Cam. l’m tryin’ to find it.’

“I ask ‘What’ll y’ do when the boxings over? He answers without thinking. ‘I’m gonna hunt down my life and grab it”

The theme is constantly brought into the plot with the characters questioning themselves, so the repeated use of the theme shows its importance 

“He’s fighting Ruben Wolfe. Or is he actually fighting Ruben Wolfe?”

‘Purpose,’ Rube continues. ‘We’ve finally got a reason to be here. We’ve got reason to be out on that street. We’e not just out here doin’ nothing’.’”

All the other themes link into it and are used to describe who Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are.

They are linked to their family and the theme of family as well as the themes survival and struggle which they go through to create themselves. 

-Alex and notTorgil

The financial struggle of Ruben and Cameron’s father and mother is what drives them to enter the fight club. By winning fights, the brothers can support their family  by supplying them with extra money. Even though fight club is dangerous and illegal, they put their own safety into danger for the good of their household. The two boys don’t tell their mother because they know it will break her heart so they think of her health over their own. This theme is present by the quote, “”, and also when Ruben attacks another boy who was making fun of Sarah 

The bond between the two brothers were uniquely strong. They both have the same thoughts as Cameron will have a thought on a phrase, and Ruben will eventually say whatever what comes into Cameron’s mind and say it aloud. In page 1,”’Jesus,’ I think. ‘Jesus,’ Rube says.” In every chapter, at the end of the chapter, the two brothers would talk before they sleep or it’s a scene where it only involves between Cameron and Ruben. The text was also a presented in a different font to display a chat between the pair of them. This adds to the theme of family as they cherish their bond so much.

The most important theme in fighting Ruben Wolfe is the importance of family  

 

This theme is evident throughout the novel and is portrayed in the beginning when Sarah gets attacks verbally. Ruben is quick to take action and tries to protect his sister. 

“your sister should take up whoring.” (p27) - sister gets attacked  

“His fingers get blooding … the guy doesn’t have a chance.” 

 

Basically plays out the whole story. Because of the theme of family, Ruben and Cameron fight to make money for the family so that they don’t need to put more pressure on their parents. They don’t tell their mum because then she will have to care more about them. 

Also their brotherly bond is  unique because everytime Cameron thinks of something and Ruben actually says it.

By the end of chapter 5, when Ruben and Cameron agree to fight for Perry, they start training. And the training makes them feel like they have purpose in the world, like they have purpose “to be out on that street.”, as Ruben says. The fighting makes them feel purposeful and meaningful. The author doesn’t try to hide that this is the most important theme in the book. The message that the author tries to convey with this theme is that without purpose, life is meaningless. In order to feel fulfilled, you must know your purpose and work with that. 

This theme is also far more important than any other because it is shown throughout the entire book. At the beginning, the brothers don’t know who they are or what they will be, and they have no set purpose. But as they grow as people, they start realising that they’re fighters and they’re not giving up ever. Their purpose is to keep fighting with every battle they get into, whether it be literal, physical, mental or metaphorical. Their purposes develop to greater things over time, from just fighting people to fighting the world and themselves. 

 

Identity:

 

The most significant theme in Fighting Ruben Wolfe is Pride/respect 

 
The pride is evident in the way the father refused the financial aid from Steve when he loses his job and even then refuses to “go on the dole” because even though he was made only half a man by the absence of his job, he was trying to be re-employed by advertising his services door-to-door.

Before Ruben was trying to motivate himself, he mentioned that he was doing the fighting to prove himself to himself. It also shows that he is trying to find his place in the world and the fights allow him to make the Wolfe name mean something.

In the fight between Ruben and Cameron, Cameron decides to give the fight his best go because he thinks that no-one wins against his brother because no-one attempts to beat his brother. So he thinks that by trying hard in his fight, he can show people that the Wolfe family always fights for pride and freedom.

By the end of chapter 5, when Ruben and Cameron agree to fight for Perry, they start training. And the training makes them feel like they have purpose in the world, like they have purpose “to be out on that street.”, as Ruben says. The fighting makes them feel purposeful and meaningful. The author doesn’t try to hide that this is the most important theme in the book. The message that the author tries to convey with this theme is that without purpose, life is meaningless. In order to feel fulfilled, you must know your purpose and work with that. 

This theme is also far more important than any other because it is shown throughout the entire book. At the beginning, the brothers don’t know who they are or what they will be, and they have no set purpose. But as they grow as people, they start realising that they’re fighters and they’re not giving up ever. Their purpose is to keep fighting with every battle they get into, whether it be literal, physical, mental or metaphorical. Their purposes develop to greater things over time, from just fighting people to fighting the world and themselves.

Purpose:

 

The book uses pride and reputation as a driving force for many of the key characters. We see people cave into this (an example being the scene where the father takes himself to get the doll) and we see people dismiss it completely (the final fight scene in which Ruben hugs cam). 

 
The Dad

 
Ruben

 
Cam

‘Blood is thicker than water.’ 

The main theme is Family, because, it’s about the two brothers and their family, they go into fighting to help their family and in the end, they would rather be happy with their family than be winners. 

 

The main reason they even got into fighting was because, somebody insulted their sister and the last thing they want to do is disappoint their family. 

 

“Sorry Mrs. Wolfe. For everything. We’ll make you proud another day. We have to. We must.” 

“We’re letting her down, that’s what injures us.” 

They just want to make their mother proud and not let her down. 

 

“Not because we’re ashamed of him. We’re not. We just know that he’s fought this for so long, and we know he see it as the end of his dignity.” 

They don’t want their father to feel as if he has lost his dignity. They care for every member of their family.