What is important information is revealed about Perry's background in New York? How does this information develop Perry's character

Perry joined the army because he wanted to earn money to help provide for his younger brother's education. Additionally, Perry saw enlisting as a way to avoid figuring out his next steps after realizing he lacked the financial resources to enroll in college. Perry has had to let go of his dream of "[going] to college and [writing] like James Baldwin" (15). He compares the war to a basketball game. A whole team shares in a win or a loss, which means that Perry always feels bad about a loss, even if he, a star player, has performed well. To him, entering the army already feels like "a kind of defeat" (14), so he feels relatively unemotional about the United States's rumored victory.