Review Of The Documentary Murderball: A True Sport Of Champions
Nancy Mairs, a feminist writer who has Multiple Sclerosis, defines the terms in which she interest the most with the world. Nancy Mairs will name herself a cripple and not be by others. She will choose a word that represents her reality for example in the beginning of her story she mentioned about her being in the bathroom trying to come up with a story about cripples. She was in the handicap bathroom and when she tried to open the door she fell, landing fully clothed on the toilet seat with her legs splayed in front of her and she said “the old beetle -on-it’s back routine.”
In 1940, 18 players died as a result of spinal injuries, fractured skulls and broken ribs. (pg. 9 and 10) I find it clever that Almond begins the section with a quote by a very well known American president. “I believe in..rough, manly sports. I do not feel any particular sympathy for the person who gets battered about a good deal as long as it is not fatal.”
In this article, the author explains why sports are very dangerous but also very beneficial. He starts off with his own personal stories and gets into describing how American football is seen as remarkably dangerous, and he includes evidence such as the violence the sport brings. He especially talks about the risks of brain damage that comes with the sport, including when “group of past players...sued the NFL for not properly informing players about the risks of brain damage during their careers”.
In the article, “When Wheelchairs Are Cool”, the author, Ben Mattlin discusses why he believes it is okay for able bodied people to ride around in wheelchairs and take on the look of a disabled person, but it is not okay if you are making fun of disabled people. It is also not acceptable for people that are bound to wheelchairs to take advantage of able bodied people’s sympathy for their situation whether it be through accepting free things or getting a discount. The main strategy Mattlin uses to persuade his reader is pathos, particularly humor which creates a light tone throughout the article. Also, Mattlin proves his credibility and proves his point by planning the time at which he published his article. Mattlin’s main claim in his article is that being in a wheelchair is not as bad as it seems.
Throughout chapters ten and eleven of Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport, Heather L. Reid addresses the many issues that arise between the relationship between virtues and sports. In particular, Reid states, “It is characteristic of sport that we want to know not just who won but also whether they deserved to win” (Reid, 140). The emphasis on the “deserving” to win closely ties with ethics, assuming that only virtuous people “deserve” to win. What grabbed my attention even more was Reid’s next statement regarding immoral actions that occur outside of the arena of sport: “The detection and punishment of cheaters is (at least presented as) a priority, and even immoral actions that have nothing to do with sport can tarnish an athlete’s image and detract from his or her results” (Reid, 140). I agree with Reid’s proposal that an athlete’s reputation can easily be affected by actions irrelevant to his or his sport.
The Body Silent, by Robert Murphy, was published in 1987. The story is about Murphy’s personal account of the physical and social changes he underwent after becoming a quadriplegic. Robert Murphy was an anthropologist at Columbia University. In his early career, he spent a year observing indigenous tribes in the Amazon with his wife. In 1972, Murphy experienced a muscle spasm that was later realized to be a symptom of a growing tumor in his spinal column stretching from the C2 vertebra to the T8 vertebra, leading to partial paralysis; he underwent a few surgeries to reduce the size of the tumor, but eventually his paralysis spread until he was fully quadriplegic in 1986.
n Nancy Mairs essay, “Disability”, she illustrates the lack of representation of people with disabilities in the media. While disability plays a major role in Mairs’ life, she points out the various ways her everyday life is ordinary and even mundane. Despite the normalcy of the lives of citizens with disabilities Mairs argues the media’s effacement of this population, is fear driven. She claims, “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit that there is something ordinary about the disability itself, that it may enter anybody’s life” (Mairs 14). Able bodied people worry about the prospect of eventually becoming physically impaired.
Nancy Mairs forces a sharp-witted and blunt tone on the reader in her essay, “On Being A Cripple.” A new perspective is explored, on being disabled as well as the word “crippled” which is found offensive by most of society. While keeping the piece light and relatable, she shines a light on the guilty pity thrown on the disabled, treatment no one asks for. Although it is a generally light piece, Mairs uses humor, anecdotes, and diction to improve the treatment of physically disabled. Humor- Mairs lives with multiple sclerosis, and when the reader realizes this it immediately makes them feel sympathy for her.
Football, although fun and exciting, plays an immense role in many long term health issues especially for people who start at a young age. The sport’s injuries include long term health issues such as chronic encephalopathy, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia; it also can be a reason for domestic violence, and on some occasions, unnecessary death. There are many factors that can persuade parents to believe that football is a safer sport than it was before, but the long term effects of a simple injury from the sport outweighs it all. In Ed Riley’s article, High School football’s benefits outweigh risks, Riley talks about the concerns that any parent would have when it comes to their child playing football.
People with disabilities are often viewed as less capable, less intelligent and not available to cope well in society. Mairs uses the different persuasive strategies such as ethos, logos and pathos to create a conscious awareness to build a world in which despite the differences everyone is treated with equality and dignity. She imagines her body as something other than problematic, but a reason to fight to build a world in which people wants her in. Mairs mentions in page 169 “I imagine a world where people, allowed the space to accept- admit, endure, embrace- their diverse and often difficult realities.” As Robert M Hensel, a famous Guinness world champion and a man with spina bifida said once “There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as
Comparing and Contrasting: ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ The short story and film version of The Most Dangerous Game contain both similarities and differences. There are always going to be changes form book to movie no matter what. The plot of both of these is the same though; A man is lost on an island and meets General Zaroff. The man is very fortunate at the time because General Zaroff is welcoming.
In the essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs uses humorous diction and a positive tone to educate people about life as a cripple and struggles of people with disabilities. She does this to show how hard it is to be disabled and how it differs from the life of someone without a disability. She talks about the struggles and the fears that disabled people must deal with on a daily basis. Mairs use of rhetoric creates a strong sense of connection and understanding for the reader. Nancy Mairs is successful in using detailed imagery, diction, and tone to educate her readers about the difficulties of living with a disability.
As an individual who developed a serious case of multiple sclerosis, Nancy Mairs begins to see herself in a different way, not as a normal person but as a “cripple”. As she opens with “I am a cripple.”. The disease ripped away her ability to walk. The disease allowed her to realize the deeper meaning of derogatory terms, such as “disabled” or “handicapped, especially the term “cripple”.
I always love to read books and watch their movies, because I get to witness the differences that take place. I prefer the books because they have more detail and really let you decide how the characters look and act. Lots of times, the stories are different than the film versions. The short story, “Most Dangerous Game”, is a very good example of this. The film and the movie have lots of things in common, but this paper is about the complete opposite.
Many children who are pushed into a sport will involuntarily injure themselves so they do not have to continue participating (Stenson). Over 3.5 million children and teens ages six to fourteen are injuring themselves purposely participating in sports they do not want to participate in. The highest rates of injury occur in sports that involve contact and collisions. More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities (Sports Injury Statistics). Although playing the sport can injure the child, so can the practices.
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