COmparison and Contrast Essay

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Both the films, The Blind Side and Rudy, address many common issues. Two in particular that stand out are education and sports. Both Michael Oher and Daniel Ruettiger (Rudy) pursue their education in order to follow their dreams. In these cases, both dreamed of becoming college football players. The long journeys they take to reach their goals bring out each characters motivation and dedication to get to the top. The movie Rudy took place in Chicago in the 1970’s. Most young men in this time period grew up to work at the local steel mill; a job that requires little to no education. However, Rudy’s dreams were far beyond the small town he resided in. He dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame. But, in order to do so, he needed to improve his grades. The decisions he made and the dedication required to make his dream come true were ones that ultimately changed his life forever. In order to get his grades up, Rudy attends Holy Cross College, a community college nearby and saves up his money. In the long run, his actions paid off. He finally gets accepted to Notre Dame and successfully joins the football team. Although he never played a single second, he fought his urge to quit the team and stick it out for the rest of the year. After a season of riding the bench, Rudy at last went in for the final two plays of the Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech game. He became the hero of the season when he sacked the opponents quarterback, allowing Notre Dame to take the win. Rudy declares, “Most people allow struggles and fear of failure to stop them. The key is to learn from your struggles and move on. Failures will make you stronger and give you the information you need to reach your Dream. Struggle will prepare you for success. Without struggl... ... middle of paper ... ...mportant, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good” (Oher). Although he was a much better athlete than Rudy, Michael also impressed everyone he knew by his hard work and dedication in order to be the best he could be. Both films incorporate the significance of sports and education by proving that success comes for commitment, confidence, self respect, and most importantly honor and courage. As Rudy advises, “Make the decision to take action and move closer to your Dream. Create daily success habits and surround yourself with information that will empower and inspire you” (Ruettiger). Never give up on something that means so much, the power of prayer alongside dedication and preparation are without doubt major keys to success. Both Rudy and Big Mike achieve the unexpected inspiring young athletes, outsiders, and dreamers in the world to this day.

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