Rhetorical Analysis Of The Integrity Of Boxing

The integrity of boxing is demonstrated when participants and viewers are in an ethical environment that displays the honor of boxing and proper sportsmanship. However, the boxing match between fighters Paret and Griffith was not an exemplary example of the integrity of boxing. The sporting event ended terribly as Paret fatally died during the match. Norman Mailer, a sports reporter, was a viewer at the boxing match between Griffith and Cuban fighter Paret. In response, Norman Mailer wrote an essay to undermine the integrity of boxing in light of the drastic event at the boxing match. In his essay, Norman Mailer utilizes similes and animalistic diction in order to convey to boxing fans that boxing lacks integrity when the severity of actions

For instance, after Griffith trapped Paret in a corner, Griffith “was in like a cat ready to trip the lout of a huge boxed rat.” The author utilizes this simile to compare Griffith to a cat ready to attack a mouse in order to establish the dominating force in the fight–in this case, Griffith. In this way, Mailer illustrates the deadly imbalance between Griffith and Paret because Mailer hints at Griffith’s desire for bloodlust. Considering how Norman Mailer is addressing boxing fans, it is understandable that he would reveal the menacing and threatening side of boxing. Additionally, the author compares the detrimental effects of Griffith’s right-hand movements. Mailer shares that Griffith’s right-hand whips “like a baseball bat demolishing a pumpkin.” The description of a bat demolishing a pumpkin is effective because it implies that Griffith is apathetic in his deadly punches toward Paret. Similarly, the author incorporates this grotesque image because it demonstrates how Griffith is pulverizing Paret in a way that exemplifies brutality. As a result, Mailor is compelled to share this information because it bolsters the idea that extreme violence deplores the honor and value of boxing. By doing so, Mailor convinces boxing fans to reconsider the morality of boxing when the match gets out of hand and becomes