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Updike First Kiss

Decent Essays

John Updike takes a very clever technique to describe baseball. Firstly in the essay titled “The First Kiss” which emphasizes that as humans we have a soft spot for our first kiss, and corresponds to baseball in saying it will always have a special place in our hearts. Updike also uses the “monster” metaphor in symbolizing the fans. He also uses diction to carefully create an image and get his point across that fans will always come back to their “first kiss” (baseball). Updike’s metaphor in comparing a “monster” to fans, really brings out a clever technique. He elaborates that the “many-headed monster” had returned to the “Fenway Faithful”, even though the Red Soxs had lost to the Yankees last season. Leaving the fans furious and disappointed, they returned back for a better season, always coming back to their team. The “monster” fans didn’t bandwagon to the Yankees but remained faithful even in tough situations. He states that monsters have “short memories, elastic hearts” which correlates to the fans being forgiven, and still there to support their favorite team in the new season. “Monsters” turn into the faithful fans, who were just upset at …show more content…

He indicates that baseball isn’t about all the “solemn money men in fur-collared greatcoats” or the “scruffy media cameramen and sour-faced reporters” the significance is that he really give you an image of what baseball appears to be but, in reality it’s the opposite. Baseball is to be fun and not to be concerned with the fans money, and all the publicity to attract more fans. It’s supposed to be appreciated and have fun. Also, Updike’s reference to virginity really sparks up. He brings up it as a new rebirth, by saying “the first nicks in statistical virginity had been taken”, thus referring to the new season, and the impact the Sox’s are going to make. Relating it to virginity, allows it to be sacred, and the first time, just like the “first

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