Shoeless Joe Research Paper

More than any other sports, baseball sits highly on the throne of America. The heroic sport calls for fond memories from stacking tiny baseball figurines to betting large sums of money on the winning player. Behind every swing of the bat lies the recorded scores, broadcasted reports, tales, and legends that all American boys and girls hear. During the 1900s, baseball was everyone's favorite sport and source of entertainment. Films, documentaries and short stories rose to display the magical American love for baseball. In one case, W.P. Kinsella illustrates the prominent theme of love in the baseball fan favorite novel, “Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa” and its film adaption. Ray Kinsella, through his love for baseball and receiving support from his family, is transformed from a mundane farmer into a baseball hero that drives Archibald Wright into discovering a critical passion.

Throughout his career, Bo Jackson used his natural talent for sports and took the risk of playing two sports at the same time. According to the Characteristics of Epic Heroes, the hero must show that they are capable of using great strength and courage to complete amazing deeds. In Bo Jackson’s lifetime, he showed immense courage in multiple ways, including the courage to play both football

Football was and is a very popular sport in America and has always been a favorite. Erik Fisher plays football because he is great at the sport, hence page 27, “Dad had brought Erik to meet Coach Warner earlier in the summer. Dad had knelt down and held the ball for Erik to drill fifty-yard field goals, one after another, while according to Dad, the Coach’s jaw had dropped lower and lower.” But, Erik played football primarily for and because of the fame. He had never cared about whether he had to hurt someone in order reach the top of the “Erik Fisher Football Dream”. On September 5 (pages 50-94), when Mike Costello dies of lightning, Paul finds Erik and Arthur laughing about how Mike’s hair was singed off. Paul was disgusted. Though Erik and Arthur didn’t kill Mike, their laughter reflects their inner evil and selfish selves. Paul then reflects on his own self and decides to walk a path of truth, unlike Erik. In continuation, Ray Lewis had once said, “Don't walk through life just playing football. Don't walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity and really making an impact on someone's life, that's the ultimate vision, that's the ultimate goal-bottom line.” Erik never had any character or integrity, whether he played sports or not. On the other hand, Paul did have character and integrity. Paul noticed Erik’s evil actions to get higher and higher up the Erik Fisher Football

We continue with Part Two of Sydney hockey “lifer” Blair Joseph who, for the majority of his 70-odd years, has been deeply devoted to the sport.

“The battle you are going through is not fueled by the words or actions of others; it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance” – Shannon L. Alder. The novel, Hoops by Walter Dean Myers, follows the life of Lonnie Jackson, a high school student from Harlem who has an unusually impressive talent for playing basketball. Lonnie’s goal in life is more than just being one of the best players to ever hit the court; for Lonnie wishes to create a new life for himself– one that is free from the struggles of Harlem streets. This goal along with his environment bring constant conflicts in Lonnie’s journey, which gradually develops his character from self-centered to compassionate. Lonnie’s professional relationship with Cal Jones as well as his bond with Paul and Mary-Ann guide him on how to both become a respected player and how to grow up into a noble man.

In the novel “ Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, is a fiction book that lets the readers know about two ranch hands who go together everywhere and they end up coming to a ranch to earn money for the dream they have to own some acres but they ended up having to go through some hard times which made it to never happen. Steinbeck wants us to know that dreams aren’t real, because they aren’t achievable, they don’t take actions to make it happen. Steinbeck uses foreshadowing and symbolism to express the theme by creating suspense and emotional connections to the characters and their dreams.

Why would I want to have a thirty-minute conversation with the now deceased Syracuse Alum and NFL player Jim Brown? Jim Brown is a strong African American male who had lived through different stages of life, someone who acquired great knowledge growing up. Brown was and still is now a hero, someone most athletes look up to, someone who has motivated me after learning about the history of him. He dealt with racism in his lifetime, the transitions from being home with family all his life to the college life. Additionally, Brown was capable of staying on top of his academics, while participating in athletics. Furthermore, I feel as if in a way we are connected, both black males who looked to use football as a way to more opportunities in life,

By contrasting a player’s ardent exuberance for basketball with his xxx disappointment in the poem “American Hero,” Essex Hemphill reveals the athlete’s conflict between his enthusiasm for the game and his resentment toward his superficial fans. For instance, the author emphasizes the player’s fervent frame of mind, “[having] nothing to lose... / I let the tension go. / Shoot for the net. / I slam it through...” (Hemphill 1, 8-9, 11-12). Hemphill illustrates the competitor’s energetic passion for basketball by describing his game-winning skills and slick athleticism. In contrast, the poet depicts the player’s resentfulness toward the cheering mass as he muses “I scored / thirty-two points this game / and they love me for it” (13-15). Despite

In Of Mice and Men, the hopes and dreams of the men on the ranch are a continuous focus and theme throughout the novel. John Steinbeck portrays the effects that dreams, or lack of them, have on the lives of the characters and the outcome of the novel. Steinbeck uses the concept of dreams at once to show hope and aspiration, as they invoke companionship with united determination for a better future, and to illustrate the difficulties of survival, with unrealised dreams illuminating the dark despair of society at that time.

Throughout the movie, it is obvious that Cobb questions reality. There are many scenes in the movie that highlight Cobb’s dilemma of whether he is dreaming or is in reality. However, only a pivotal few will be used in this paper. A brief synopsis of each scene is discussed

In the movie Field of Dreams, Ray’s true vocation was to host the baseball players on his corn field in order for Terrance Mann and Archie Graham to get the closure they need in their lives. Once he heard the mysterious voice, he knew that there was something that he was supposed to do in his life, but was not quite sure of what it is. However, as the movie progressed, it became clear to Ray that no matter what difficulties were going on, such as struggling to pay the bills and having his friends tell him to get rid of the farm, he needed to keep the field. If Ray had not become a farmer, which he originally assumed was his vocation, the baseball players, particularly Mr. Kinsella, would not have been on the field. Therefore, Ray would not

a sports story: sports, biography, comedy, drama, or even family movies. The 1976 film Rocky is an excellent example of a sports drama. “A sports drama incorporates dramatic elements into

On this reading, the Author in “The Red Shoes”, describe the all fashion ideation of a mother, which most of US as Latinos can relate with. A teenage girl that wants to do what it is normal for a young girl of her ages: trying to look pretty and attractive to the boy eyes. Her mother who is a woman who hides her real feeling because she doesn’t want to be judge or questioned by society. The reading clearly present a window mother who is trying to do what she considered is correct for her daughter. However she is no allows her daughter to grow according to her ages and is influences her perception of been decent based on a pair of shoes.

In modern day America sports are a very important part of our culture, because we are constantly watching sports and participating in sports. In any sport we watch mythology is present. The very act itself of playing the sport is reflective of old roman times when gladiators would kill for the crowds entertainment although today instead of killing its by hitting a home run or scoring a goal. “At their best, sports are about the extraordinary capacities of the human spirit.”(Wolter). These athletes can become extremely popular to the point were they are viewed as superhuman just like in myths, and there is a reason because the best athletes in their respective sport do what no average person could do. “The most legendary performances speak of almost super-human feats: the sub 4 minute mile, Michael Jordan’s flu stricken playoff

“Basketball was once a game for the Irish and Italian Catholics in Rockaway and the Jewish on Fordham Road in the Bronx.” (Greenfield 210). Back in the beginnings of basketball ethnic names like Red Holzmans, Red Auerbach, and the McGuire Brothers were etched as stars of the NBA (Greenfield 210). But in the present names such Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson are a fixture of pro basketball with national television exposure and million dollar salaries. This is a far cry from the old school basketball of white men with status playing it for leisure. Greenfield and Wolf believe there is a question of style with today’s modern player.