Tom Wong Theme Analysis Essay on “Hoop Court” and “Why I Learned To Cook" How would you feel if your thoughts and ideas were ignored? Why are people ignorant of this? Ignorance occurs when there is a lack of knowledge and understanding. Ignorance, often leading to assumptions, can cause poor communication, followed by failing relationships. This essay will compare two short stories that show how ignorance is used against the protagonists. The short story “Hoop Court,” written by Matt De La Pea, is about a person who wants to play basketball but is rejected by the players practicing at the gym. The main character is determined to show the players that he is a good basketball player and shows up to the gym every day. In “Why I Learned To Cook,” …show more content…
During a meal with her grandma and her friend, she tells her grandma that she wants to learn how to cook. Her grandma, happy and excited, goes to the supermarket with Yasaman to pick out vegetables and ingredients for their dishes. When they go to pay, the cashier is rude to Yasaman’s grandma, thinking that she does not understand English. In addition, the woman in line behind them looks irritated and in a hurry. Yasaman apologizes to the woman and pays for her groceries. When they have loaded everything in their car and are seated, Yasaman’s grandma tells her to “never apologize for taking up space, Yasaman. You have just as much right to take as much time on that line as you want to. . . . You don’t apologize for who you are.” (Farizan, 94) This teaches Yasaman a lesson to always take pride in herself and her actions. Back home, Yasaman’s grandma teaches her how to prepare a variety of dishes. Yasaman practices making the dishes to perfection for two months before inviting her girlfriend Hannah over for dinner, where Yasaman’s grandma finds out that they are dating. Before Yasaman built up the courage to come out, she was keeping her relationship with Hannah a secret from her grandma. Yasaman was ignoring the fact that her relationship with her grandma could grow stronger once she came out. “I hadn’t yet introduced [Hannah] to my …show more content…
These stories show that ignorance can make you feel inferior and misunderstood. In “Hoop Court,” the main character has to face the unfriendly antagonists and stand up for themselves. Persevering through the belittlement of the players at the gym, the protagonist is able to earn their respect. Ignorance is significant in this story because the main character has to overcome the ignorance of the players, which adds to the rising action of the plot. Comparably, in the short story “Why I Learned To Cook,” the protagonist challenges herself to come out to her grandmother, pushing past the fear of not being accepted. Ignorance is important in this story because it is the main thing that sets the main character back from her goals. Whether it is facing your bullies or overcoming your fears, the protagonists in both stories help show that internal and external ignorance can affect your relationships with others. Authors Matt De La Pea and Sara Farizan present the theme in a way that helps the readers better understand how ignorance can lead to misunderstandings, but also how experiencing and pushing past ignorance can contribute to personal growth. To conclude, many people face ignorance, but are able to challenge it and reach a positive
Remember that boy in high school that was the star of the basketball team? He still holds most of the records for the team. He scored more points than anyone else in the school’s history. He never studied much because he was an athlete. His basketball skills were going to take him places. But high school ended and there are no more games to be played. Where is that former all-star now? In his poem “Ex-Basketball Player,” John Updike examines the life of a former high school basketball star. Flick Webb was a local hero, and he loved basketball. He never studied much in school or learned a trade because he was a talented athlete. Now years later, the only job Flick can find is working at the local gas station. He used to be a star, but now he just “sells gas, checks oil, and changes flats” (19-20). The purpose of Updike’s poem is to convince the reader that athletes should also focus on getting a good education.
One of the biggest factors in achieving your dreams is the support system that you have behind you. There is only so much a person can control before it begins to wear you down, and you can’t endure anymore. In the beginning of the documentary Hoop Dreams, both boys had a strong dream of making it to the NBA, but slowly over time you begin to notice that dream of theirs start to fizzle and become out of reach. In this situation, Arthur and William both had the odds stacked against them even before they attempted to pursue their dream. The struggles financially, educationally, and pressure from family were too substantial to ignore, and eventually led to their failure.
...narrator Victor and Adrian sit on the porch and talk about the basketball stars on the reservation, particularly Julius Windmaker, who is somber and talented at basketball at the age of fifteen. One year later, Victor and Adrian sit on the same porch and see their drunken basketball star—Julius. At the end of the story, Victor and Adrian talk about a talented third-grade ballplayer, Lucy, hoping that she will be a successful ballplayer. Humor, as a strategy, is also used in this story.
Throughout four different text there is a recurring idea that connects to how dreams motivate people to improve themselves. These four texts are, the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the film The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luremann, the documentary Hoop Dreams by Steven James and the film Sweeney Todd directed by Tim Burton.
A question that is commonly asked about professional basketball is, Could players from the WNBA compete in the NBA? The answer is clear. Women could not survive in the NBA. Men are physically stronger and faster, better natural athletes, and naturally smarter within the confines of sports.
Since the inception of basketball in 1891, the game has become a contributing factor in shaping American culture. The birth of the NBA only served to cement basketball as one of the major sports in the United States. The NBA’s efforts to reach fans all around the world have been facilitated by emerging technologies and partnerships with foreign media providers. Due to it’s rich history with the game of basketball, China has become the NBA’s second largest market. A contributing factor to the NBA’s success in China has been China’s long standing collectivist culture. The NBA and basketball have been able to evolve with China’s emerging individualism in its younger generations. The continued success of the NBA in China will continue to grow with
“Girl” makes the impression that the mother wants the daughter to take over the “women’s” work around the house as well as she tells her which day to wash the white clothes Monday, wash the colored clothes on Tuesday, and she is teaching her how to iron her father’s clothes the way he likes them done and how to sew on a button; “This is how to make a button-hole for the button you have just sewed on.” (380) The mother also is teaching her daughter how to cook for the family. “Cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil,” (380) so that everyone will eat them. The mother also discusses table manners, “always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn some-one else’s stomach.”
Most players that enter the NBA draft early are 19 or 20 years-old. They are going to end up playing against 25-year-olds that are stronger, faster, and that have had more experience than they have. Along with more experience, they will not be as physically fit because one or two years of college will not do it, and high school will not do it. For example, Lebron James. He is considered one of the best to have played the game, and he went straight out of high school. Imagine if he had gone to college, he would be so much better. So if they leave after the freshman or sophomore year, they will be about five or six years behind and that will make it harder to get a spot on the bench. If they do not make it to the bench, then they will be in the D league for 2 or 3 years to help develop their skills. “The D-League uses a tiered compensation system that's based on experience. Players with ample NBA
The movie “Basketball Diaries” is based on a series of journal entries written by Jim Carroll during the early years of his life, these entries would later on be published as a novel. Growing up in the slums of New York City, Carroll was exposed to many instances of drugs abuse and as a result of his life being filled with stress such as him living in an unstable household without a father, and losing his best friend he began to engage in substance abuse. As a teenager, Carroll was willing to go to extreme lengths just to fit in with his peers. He was an avid basketball player who seemed to be devoted to the sport and was knowledgeable when it came to teaching others what he knew about the sport. Based on the opening scenes of the movie, one can tell that Carroll was a very impressionable teenager. Like many teenagers, Carroll was left open to the influences of his environment and so he was misguided because instead of trying to steer him on the right path, the older folks led him to what would inevitably become his destruction. This paper will provide background information of the ...
Basketball is a great sport for people that like to run because basketball involves running up and down the court.. Some people like basketball because they like the idea of the sport or the competition. Most people have something specific that they like about basketball. For instance: Some people like free throws better than threes. Everyone has a different opinion about the game or perspective of the game that they like or dislike about it.
First of all, it is important to define the term ‘dynasty’. It is important to break down the topic so that it is possible to understand what the topic is about.
THEME ANALYSIS HOOK Perseverance is a trait of success. CONTEXT Successful people, whether financially, academically, or in any human endeavor, need to overcome obstacles they have had to achieve their goals. T.A.G In Langston Hughes's poem, Mother to Son, and Matt De La Pena's short story, How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium, perseverance is conveyed in both pieces of writing as a trait to progress in their goals. In Matt De La Pena's short story, How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium, the main character's perseverance is portrayed as a way for the main character to climb the ranks of basketball and improve
Everyone wants to get better at something, but some want it more than others. In “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium”, the narrator wants to get better at basketball, so he wakes up everyday at 4:30 to go with his dad to his work. Everyday, the narrator would wait 3 hours in his dad’s car until the gym opened, only to sit on the bench and watch the other men play basketball. Finally, one of the best players, Dante, tells the narrator he can play but he’ll get “smoked”. However, the narrator proved him wrong. The narrator learns that if you persevere, work hard, and have confidence, your dreams may come true. In How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place
Down two with six seconds to go fatigue had taken it tolls on the players. With little energy left; over time was not an option. I knew I had to go for the win. I walk on the floor confident of my ability that was until the whistle blew quickly turning my confident to butterflies. As I fought to get open I quickly saw the ball coming my way. As I rose for a jump shot time itself began to stay still. An in flesh everything became silent. As I watch the ball leave my hand I envisioned greatness; sure the ball was on its way in I started to celebrate that was until I hear the announcer say my teammate tip in miss shot to win us the game. Mix with emotion I celebrate with my teammate. “Ok guys, we have 24 hours until tip off. Get some rest because this is going to be the biggest game of your life. Let’s bring this championship back to Barton College. Go Bulldogs and Goodnight!” Why few players stay in the lobby to hang out I took it talk upon to work on my game and reflect on the semifinal game that just took place. At basketball games you will notice how there are all sorts of fans attending the game.
Can you imagine playing the game of basketball without a three point line? Basketball has constantly changed throughout history and continues to change today. The National Basketball Association has risen in popularity and is now one of America’s more popular sports. Because basketball continues to be a popular sport, a fan should learn about the origin of the NBA, how the game evolved from the late 1940s to the early 2000s, and how the players today impact the way it is played.