Cinderella Man Essay

Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man tells the story of boxer James J. Braddock and the struggles he and his family face. At the start of the movie, the Bulldog of Bergen is a wealthy boxer, with a large home and happy family. After breaking his hand in the ring, he finds himself unable to fight, and loses his boxing contract. Braddock is forced to work on the docks after his dismissal, with a broken hand, not earning enough to get his family by. After being forced to send his kids to stay with family, Braddock takes to begging his former employers for enough money to bring his kids back. Luckily for James Braddock, a last-minute withdrawal presents him with the opportunity to rejoin the boxing world. After winning the fight, the Bulldog is suddenly thrown back into the arena, much to his wife’s dismay. Many fights later, James Braddock fights Max Baer, a bloodthirsty fighter guilty of killing two men in the ring. In an astonishing fight, the Bulldog of Bergen manages to snag the championship title. The story line, although fairly unoriginal, does incorporate some of the hardships

In My Antonia, Antonia worked with Ambroche in the fields to help their family survive. She worked hard to provide for everyone, toiling all day on the farm instead of going to school and benefitting herself. In The Jungle Jurgis promises that he will provide for the family, taking an unpleasant job at a meatpacking place just to keep his word. Unfortunately, this is not enough, and Ona and thirteen year old Stanislovas are forced to get jobs. Antonia, Jurgis, Ona, and Stanislovas’s dedication to providing for their families mirror James Braddock’s attempts to take care of his family. The news of his kids being sent away motivates Braddock into begging for enough money to get by. The desperation many characters feel to provide for their family is a pertinent theme in My Antonia, The Jungle, and Cinderella