The Contender Analysis

Do dogs smile? Author Gary Paulsen, in his memoir Winterdance, uses symbol, theme, and metaphors to further the reader’s understanding of the dog-human relationship. Paulsen lives in Minnesota, he decides to starts running dogs on a trapline. He eventually moves to Alaska and wants to run the Iditarod. He tells his stories and explains his relationships with the dogs. He explains the struggles using the literary concepts of symbols, theme, and metaphors to expand the reader’s understanding or the text.

In chapter 22 of The Color of Water, James Mcbride is wanting to see inside of the synagogue because of his family history. James is interested on his family history because he is writing a book about it. “My family has a history there, because there's a part of me, whether I, or those that run the synagogue, like it or not” (221). James does not know much about his history and is trying to get to know himself and understand himself more as well. He wanted to know the truth.

Oscar de la Hoya was born February 4, 1973, into a very poor and tough neighborhood in East Los Angeles. Sometimes De la Hoya’s family didn’t have enough money for food. There were also lots of street gangs and drug dealers. His father decided to give him some boxing lessons to help adapt to the neighborhood he lived in. Boxing was very big in Oscar de la Hoya’s family. His grandfather had fought as an amateur and his father had boxed professionally. His first boxing match was when he was 6 years old, and he won the match. As he kept working out in the Resurrection Boy 's Club Gym, he started winning a lot of matches. By the end of his high school career he had an astonishing 225 wins, and only five losses. He had become a national Junior Olympic

In the book the Color of Water, Hunter Jordan, James ' stepfather, died of a sudden stroke when he was younger. His mother first married a man named Andrew McBride, that was James’ biological dad, but was only alive to see the moment where his mother, Ruth, re-married to Hunter. When he had died each one of them had a different way of grieving. Ruth rode a blue bicycle Hunter had brought in before he died. For example, James explains how his mother rides the bike around everyday and “... what the world thought of her, a nonchalance in the face of what i perceived to be imminent danger from the blacks and whites who disliked her for being a white person in a black world.” (McBride 8). She ignored everyone and everything that came across her.

As Joe’s excitement mounted to give rides on his newly purchased boat, his joy soon turned to dread as one of his beloved passengers tumbled into the water. The author, Horatio Alger Jr., of “Joe’s Reward” writes a story of a hero named Joe, who rescues a wealthy man’s niece that ends with an offer of a reward. The text consists of Joe’s actions that happen to drive the plot using specific events. Throughout the story, Horatio uses myth-like elements, such as a damsel in distress, a heroic act, and the hero receiving and turning down a reward, to assist the plot in moving forward.

James spent his time with Big Richard and his friends that hung out on “the corner”. The corner was not a place for a teenager to be. There was alcohol, drugs and crime all combined in one section of town. One of the friends, Chicken Man, sat down and talked to James and said “If you stay here, you’ll fool around…Go away and learn to live on your own.”(page 178-179) James witnessed the consequences that life brings with drugs, alcohol, violence and lack of education which helped him realize that he needed to change how he was as a person.

In spite of difference ideologies, race, nationality, and gender, All the Pretty Horses has been credited with representing a new cowboy protagonist who is coming to conflict and ruin as he rides through landscape. Although the 16 years adolescent John Grady Cole reflects the culture of Texas ranching, All The Pretty Horses responds to the frontier 's modernization. The protagonist, John Grady Cole is conscious that something is 'happing to country '.

I'm the movie Cinderella Man, James Braddock starts off as a strong middle-class regular American. The economy is going well. James and his family live in a nice neighborhood. James wins fights and overall is having a pretty good life as an American. James is an excellent well known boxer. James Braddock is married to a woman named mMae and they have three kids with eacother; two bioys and one girl. Maeb knew that boxing was his life from the moment she met him. Mae unlike other relatives cannot assure herself into watching his brutal fights. Mae supports her husband because it is at that time the only profession he can do that keeps a roof over their head. Just like every other American at that time James has a tremendous life changing experience.

Melba Pattillo Beals wrote Warriors Don’t Cry as a memoir of her battle to integrate Little Rock’s Central High. The nonfictional story focuses on the life of Melba Pattillo Beals, one of the nine teenagers chosen to integrate central high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Being threatened and harassed by her school mates while her own community ignore her during her attempt to bring equality in Arkansas is heartbreaking as her remarkable story is displayed in this book. There are lots of literary elements used to create this memoir as they help the writing spring to life. Some of them are: first point of view, conflict, plot, theme, symbolism etc. The central theme is courage and overcoming racism and social injustice.

My favorite quote from Jackie Robinson is, “above everything else, I hate to lose.” That perfectly sums up my attitude towards grades, and for me, any final grade below 90, is losing. Using determination and commitment, I was able to win, and not lose, in the first semester of my freshman year.

People have different views on what success really means. Some say success is based on money or fame. If you have a lot of money or fame you're "definitely" successful. Others say success is based on your fulfillment and overall happiness in your life. Alfred Brooks, the protagonist in the novel The Contender by Robert Lypsite, has many friends, family, and supporters. Alfred also has almost no financial gain through boxing, but he's been inspired to work hard. Lastly, Alfred is very happy with his life even after his boxing career fails. On the other hand, Midge Kelly, the main character in the film "Champion," is the polar opposite of Alfred. Midge loses his friends, family, and supporters. Also, Midge is rich, but he dies alone and unhappy. At the end of the novel, Alfred Brooks is more successful than Midge Kelly is at the end of the movie.

The book, “Losers Take All,” written by David Klass, takes place in modern time New Jersey. Jack Logan is a senior boy who attends a sport enthusiastic school. After a tragic incident occurs, Fremont High is left in search of a new principal to replace Gentry. In the middle of summer, Fremont decided to hire their football coach, Mr. Muhldinger, as the new principle. Things take a dramatic turn when the first rule he implements is that all seniors must join a sport.

Every character in a story has feelings. Sometimes, those feeling or emotions shape who the character is and how they act. This is the case in the story “Everything will be Okay,” by James Howe. The main character, James Howe(yes, it is a personal narrative)is trying to fit into his family, but his emotions make him stand out. This is true because when animal is involved, he lets his emotions pour out. This isn’t how the rest of the family acts or how the want him act. He his conflicted about whether he loves his family due to the way they act towards animals. In the end, he makes a choice about whether to he is going to fit into his family or not, and this decision is decided by his emotions.

The industrial revolution woke up the sense of humanity in people, yet at the same time It turned it off. To begin with, from the year 1819 through 1901, Great Britain was beginning to face an all new era called the Victorian Era. In fact, this era was named like that, because of queen Victoria. Also, this era was very important because it introduced medical advances, scientific knowledge, and technological knowledge that helped increase work efficiency. However, not all the things that occurred were great. One of the things that were very outrageous, were the working conditions of the employees. As a matter of fact, there were writers, like Charles Dickens with “A Christmas Carol”, Benjamin Disraeli with “Sybil”, and Elizabeth Gaskell with

“Enlighten my ignorance.” This request is sometimes used by a person who is lacking information. In Cry, the Beloved Country, the author Alan Paton describes many situations that show the problems that arise because of unjust conditions in the country of South Africa. One of the major problems is ignorance. Some people are lacking formal educations, some are lacking an understanding of other cultures, and some are lacking understanding of members of their own family. One of the main characters is James Jarvis whose son Arthur has been murdered. After the death of his son, James comes to understand that while he is an educated businessman, he is ignorant in several ways. James Jarvis is an example of the change that can happen when one man realizes he is ignorant of his son’s motivation, of his neighbor’s needs, and of what he can do to make a difference.