In David Foster Wallace’s essay, “How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart,” he argues that the true talent of star athletes is to completely engross themselves in playing the game. While worshipping the “power and grace and control” of her, he notes that such talent does not stretch to the field of writing (143) He continues by saying, her memoir did not meet reader’s expectation, which is to take a peek at the secrets of her God-given talent. As a matter of fact, Wallace suspects that the exceptional talent of athletes can only be brought out by their apathetic and ignorant nature when it concerns something other than their passion. He supports this claim by first describing talents Tracy Austin displayed at a very young age. After playing in games against older …show more content…
He, then, lists the varying degrees of naïveté she displays. For instance, illegally accepting money to play in a match and receiving a costly jewelry from a stranger. In the same fashion, he emphasizes her miserable failure to recognize and communicate with the reader as she “forgets who it’s supposed to be for” (144). Instead, “the author’s [primary allegiance seems to be to her family and friends” (145). Towards the end of the text, he develops the argument even more by indicating the tone of the writing and the insipid vocabularies used through out. The “same air of robotic banality” of every “sports-memoir genre… [and] media” is also present in her writing. The vapidity of the text was the most noticeable at the part where she described the tragedy and the acceptance that follows with the same bland voice, even though she had to “think about the end of the only life she’d ever known” (151).
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.
Starting tennis at a young age, she quickly rose as the young prodigy by managing to play against those who are much older than her with an outstanding result. Then, all the flaws of her life, as well as the autobiography, itself, have been listed. For instance, in one of her earlier years when she had accepted money to play, was an illegal act and also accepted the costly diamond necklace from a stranger. In the same fashion, he emphasized her miserable failure to articulate her memories, victories, and tragedy. Bland words on her memoir did not reflect, nor influence the readers in any way whatsoever, according to him. Even the part where she narrated how she felt when she had to “think about the end of the only life she’d ever known,” the writing was rather insipid (151). The purpose of stress on the vapidity of writing was to illustrate the reduction of an endless gap before reading the memoir. Furthermore, “it forgets who its supposed to be for” (145). She fails to recognize the readers and does not make any attempt to communicate with them, instead “the author’s primary allegiance seems to be to her family and friends” (145). She is by no means the divine person he and many had once thought she is. Her brilliance that shines when playing tennis, doesn’t stretch out in other areas. He claims that she does not have a common gift of communication unlike that of normal spectators, such as
...s, and why he writes them at all. Instead of judging him, she tries to understand and fix it her own way, and it affects how he sees his writing:
Most student-athletes grow up as very innocent lads bedecked with tremendous talents and become very promising in sports. Thus, they become rays of hope for their families, neighborhoods, and schools yet to be determined. Like the lamb in William Blake’s poem The Lamb, they are fed “by the stream & o’er the mead; gave…clothing of delight, softest clothing, wooly, bright…making all the vales rejoice.” (Smith 24) Then they are exposed to the life of hard work in which only the fittest survives. This makes them ready for the different challenges in the sports scene.
The issue of race in sport is somewhat baffling in that many people would rather not address at all even though sport has been intricately intertwined with racial issues throughout the Twentieth century. Those who would have us omit the topic altogether argue that analyses typically single out the black athlete, and then attempt to explain his/her inordinate success in ways different than we do with other groups. Critics contend that this is racist, since it perpetuates the idea that blacks are different, and often inferior. Edwards (1972) asserts that a typical theme resulting from such analysis is that blacks are physically superior, but intellectually inferior, to whites. Hoberman (1997) has further made the case that physical prowess, especially in such sports as basketball, has become a defining characteristic of the African-American community, and that beliefs about physical superiority are closely related to an anti-intellectualism that permeates black male culture. Essentially, Hoberman’s argument is that inordinate attention and idolization of prominent black athletes such as Michael Jordan has focused attention away from more realistic and important role models, and this, in turn has stunted intellectual, and social economic development in black communities.
The Civil Rights Era impacted the realm of sports in a great and powerful way. Throughout the mid 1900s, many minority athletes emerged through all odds and began to integrate themselves in the white dominated athletic business. These athletes endured constant hardships in order to achieve their goals and dreams; facing much racism, segregation, and violence. Minorities across the country began to look up to these sportsmen and realized that anybody could attain greatness despite the social troubles of the time. Stories depicting the struggles of minority athletes soon arose and grew popular among different cultures. These true accounts passed from generation to generation, each admiring the courage and bravery of athletes and how important they became in obtaining an equal society. Producers and directors soon found a way to revolutionize the film industry by retelling the racial discrimination that minority athletes faced. Remember the Titans, The Perfect Game, 42, and The Express are all examples of how minority athletes overcame racial adversities in order to obtain the championship. These Hollywood movies contain many inaccuracies that draw away from the true impact minority athletes had during the Civil Right Era. Although these films do depict the racial components of the time, they do not depict the accurate occurrences of the stories they try to recreate.
Rick Reilly, in his ESPN column (2007), contends that sports competitions are more than simple games, instead, they are events capable of bringing people together in unique ways. He reinforces his contention by integrating inspirational anecdotal evidence, bold syntax, and unvarnished diction. Reilly’s purpose is to point out the importance and humanity of sports in order to convince a college professor and readers of sports magazines that sports writing is indeed an advanced and valuable profession. He assumes a humorous tone (“...most important- sports is the place where beer tastes best”) for an audience of sports magazine readers, but more specifically, a professor that told him that he was “better than sports.”
Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist writing for The New Yorker; he often deals with popular modern life theories and ethical issues. The essay was published in The New Yorker magazine, September 2013, so the issue of the essay is an ongoing and controversial incongruity ethical dilemma among sports industry. The magazine is nationwide read especially in the U.S. metropolitans. The contents are mostly about American literary and cultural landscape, reportage, and including short stories. The target audience of the magazine is originally educated to elite readers, also the essay intended audience would not be much different from the magazine’s, specifically, the sports circles and sports spectators among middle to upper-class people.
Previously, the narrator has intimated, “She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves. They had never taken the form of struggles. They belonged to her and were her own.” Her thoughts and emotions engulf her, but she does not “struggle” with them. They “belonged to her and were her own.” She does not have to share them with anyone; conversely, she must share her life and her money with her husband and children and with the many social organizations and functions her role demands.
...ennis, basketball, soccer, and martial arts—have come from the days of cheerleading and synchronized swimming when she was growing up in the ’70s.” Disparities in media coverage and over-sexualized female athletes on magazine covers is something that needs to come to an end because of its effects on both male and female viewers, young and old, athletes and non-athletes. Both female and male athletics influence young people and shape their personality and morals as they mature. Retired WNBA player, Lisa Leslie credits her participation in basketball with shaping her character, as well as her career. “Sports can also help teenagers during an awkward time in their development.” (“Women’s Athletics: A Battle For Respect”). The solution is to come together as a society and identify how to balance the respect for female and male athletes in the media.
Williams, Peter. The sports immortals: deifying the American athlete. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1994.. 30-31
The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t teach them reality and educate them to undertake more realistic goals for careers.
Her family life is depicted with contradictions of order and chaos, love and animosity, conventionality and avant-garde. Although the underlying story of her father’s dark secret was troubling, it lends itself to a better understanding of the family dynamics and what was normal for her family. The author doesn’t seem to suggest that her father’s behavior was acceptable or even tolerable. However, the ending of this excerpt leaves the reader with an undeniable sense that the author felt a connection to her father even if it wasn’t one that was desirable. This is best understood with her reaction to his suicide when she states, “But his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him. Maybe it was the converse of the way amputees feel pain in a missing limb.” (pg. 399)
As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.
Rabiner after narrating Letty Cottin’s successful story asks the readers “Now where does that leave me?’’(Rabiner 585)-at this stage the reader foreshadows that the writer is not affected by the jubilant story because it is least relatable. Another rhetorical question is poised to the readers after Rabiner finishes the narration of her own story- “Now I ask you- do I need to read about the triumphant lives of Helen Gurley Brown or Mary Wells Lawrence?’’(Rabiner 587); this underpins the irony presented by the author that the stories of illustrious women projected in the media are far from reality. These rhetorical questions are directly addressed to the audience, and hence sound natural to the article. The audience is able to think while concurrently transitioning smoothly to another thought efficaciously presented by Rabiner. Furthermore, the writer after giving a detailed list of achievements by women asks “If they can do it, how about you?’’(Rabiner 585), and follows by a number of dashes to create a hasty breathlessness. This craft of involving the readers directly to her argument and evoking their expressions adds to the fact that these strategies have been effectively used. The diction employed the writer is simple and comprehensible for the intended audience coupled with the short and few long sentences. Therefore, the use of rhetorical questions helps Rabiner cement her