In this course, we have discussed the experiences of Viktor Frankl and Jackie Robinson through the book, A Will to Meaning, and the movie, 42. Even though Frankl and Robinson’s lives were full of hardships, they were able to retain their self-respect. How is this possible? By examining Joan Dideon’s work on self-respect, Frankl and Robinson’s development of self-respect becomes clear.
According to Dideon, the evolution of self-respect starts with trauma (Dideon, 1968). For Dideon, this trauma was not getting into the Phi Beta Kappa Sorority (Dideon, 1968). For Frankl, this trauma was surviving after being admitted into a German concentration camp (Frankl, 6). For Robinson, this trauma was trying to overcome the racism that he encountered from playing baseball on the Brooklyn Dodgers (Clark, Cook, & Hegeland, 2013). It is through this trauma that our childish invincibility is shattered (Dideon, 142-143). For example, this moment for Frankl came when his friend was killed on arrival to Auschwitz: “That’s where your friend is, floating up to heaven,” (Frankl, 13). This event shattered Frankl’s invincibility because he realised afterwards that in Auschwitz, nothing will be under his control.
For Robinson, this trauma is not as obvious. Racism is present throughout the movie but I think the moment when he loses his invincibility is when Mr. Rickey gets him onto the Montreal Royals. Robinson asks Rickey why he is given this opportunity and Rickey answers him with a long speech about creating an only African American baseball team to win the World Series. In the end, Rickey admits that he is doing it for profit. When Rickey asks his opinion of the plan, Robinson responds: “I don’t think what I believe is important. Only what I do,” (Cla...
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...a self-respect that is reliant on their own skills and talents. For Frankl, he came up with his logotherapy technique and served the patients in his concentration camp (Frankl, 59). For Robinson, he didn’t respond to taunts and just focused on his baseball career (Clark, et al., 2013). As he says in the movie: “I don’t care if they like me. I didn’t come here to make friends. I don’t even care if they respect me. I know who I am. Got enough respect for myself” (Clark, et al., 2013).
Bibliography
Clark, J. (Producer), Cook, D. (Producer), & Hegeland, B. (Director). (2013). 42: The Jackie Robinson Story [Motion Picture]. United States: Legendary Pictures.
Didion, J. (1968). On Self-Respect. In Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays by Joan Dideon (142-148). New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Viktor, Frankl. (2006). A Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
Irish Playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.” Inhumanity is mankind’s worse attribute. Every so often, ordinary humans are driven to the point were they have no choice but to think of themselves. One of the most famous example used today is the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night demonstrates how fear is a debilitating force that causes people to lose sight of who they once were. After being forced into concentration camps, Elie was rudely awakened into reality. Traumatizing incidents such as Nazi persecution or even the mistreatment among fellow prisoners pushed Elie to realize the cruelty around him; Or even the wickedness Elie himself is capable of doing. This resulted in the loss of faith, innocence, and the close bonds with others.
He had to face racism and discrimination. The turning points were when he joined a major league. Little kids were very inspiring because they did not care what color they were or what race they are from. When he met Branch Rickey they both made a bond. As same as Ru they both tried to change their country but Robinson had help and did not start changing the way of baseball. He changed the way his country thought about baseball and Black people. He made them think that baseball should be open to everyone. He also faced many life changing experiences that lead to him to having impact on his country. He also was not the only one who did this besides from Feng Ru. He was one of the men who changed baseball
Then, the speaker of this letter is Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player in America. However, without Robinson as the speaker this text wouldn’t be preserved as it is today, specifically if the speaker was a little known person of color or even a white person speaking on the behalf of the black community. The audience includes President Lyndon B. Johnson directly; then Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York; and lastly the people of America, the black community, and those fighting for civil rights. This audience is important because if Robinson hadn’t written to the President, and indirectly to the others, then, similarly with the speaker, the text might not be as preserved or well-known nor carry the same influence it has. The subject, as mentioned before for the text’s purpose, is the Civil Rights Movement and the President’s involvement in it during the Vietnam War, which is affects the text as Robinson is a
Branch Rickey was interested in Robinson for two reasons. One, being his talent, of course. Two, Branch Rickey wanted to make a change that will affect the MLB forever. Branch Rickey wanted to assist Jackie Robinson in breaking the color barrier. Jackie was soon tried on the Montreal Royals for the International Leagues. During this period of time, Jackie Robinson of course attracted a huge amount of attention, both good and bad. Of course, the white citizens were furious and continually frustrated with this “disgrace” to baseball. Although the reactions of Caucasians were negative, African Americans were very supportive and encouraged.
...play in the major leagues and Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier and people started realizing the questionable practices of segregation wanting the United States to change and accept blacks into everyday life.
While some praised the addition of a black person in baseball, many did not. Robinson goes into detail about his positive relationship with several players, along with his heated association with Walter O’Malley, the Dodger owner, as well as the prominent sportswriter Dick Young, who racism revealed itself in many of Young’s own writing. During his first appearance as a major league baseball player in 1947, Robinsons says that some players were outraged they had to play with him; Rickey said if anyone didn’t want to play with him they could simply leave the
Julian, one of the main characters of the story, struggles with his identity tremendously. He viewed himself as an upright scholar that graduated from college and was not racist in any way. “True culture is in the mind, the mind, the mind…” (O’Connor, 1965). Julian believed that if he could make nice with and/or become friends with African-American people that he was not racist. On the contrary, he did not have any friends of the African-American descent nor could he engage in a meaningful conversation with an African-American person. O’Connor sets a p...
Robinson, Sharon. Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America. New York: Scholastic, 2004. Print.
Society often pressures individuals within it to conform to different ideals and norms. This stems from the fact that individuals in a society are expected to act in a certain way. If a person or group of people do not satisfy society’s expectations, they are looked down upon by others. This can lead to individuals isolating themselves from others, or being isolated from others, because they are considered as outcasts. The emotional turmoil that can result from this, as well as the internal conflict of whether or not to conform, can transform an individual into a completely different person. This transformation can either be beneficial or harmful to the individual as well as those around them. The individual can become an improved version of himself or herself but conversely, they can become violent, rebellious and destructive. The novels Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess both explore the negative effects experienced by individuals living within the confines of society’s narrow-mindedness. In A Clockwork Orange, protagonist Alex was the leader of a small group of teenage criminals. He did not have a healthy relationship with either one of his parents or with others around him. Instead he spent most of his time alone during the day and at night roamed the streets in search of victims he could mug or rape. In Fight Club the unnamed protagonist was an outcast in his community. He chose to distance and isolate himself from others and as a result had no friends, with the exception of Tyler Durden and Marla Singer. Due to his isolation, he often participated in nightly fights that took place in Fight Club so that he could relieve his anxiety and stress. In this way, Alex and the unnamed protagoni...
He served as an athletic director. Afterward, he played baseball for a professional African-American team. With him joining the team it caused, him to be away from his college sweetheart, Rachel. Then one day, Brooklyn Dodgers scout Clyde invites him to meet Branch Rickey, president of the Major-League Baseball team. At first, Robinson considers the offer to be a practical joke, as African Americans are not allowed to play in the segregated major leagues. When he was convinced that the opportunity is genuine, he and Rickey size each other up. After thinking over Rickey’s warning about the hatred and abuse he would have to endure without being able to strike back. Robinson signs with the Dodgers/ The Montreal Royals. Though he wants to hold off from marrying Rachel to shield her. She insists in an immediate wedding, so she can support her man in the trying times ahead. Robinson leads the league in hitting in his first year, and despite the grave concerns expressed by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Rickey goes ahead and promotes the Dodgers. Reviled at first, by many of the fans and some of his own teammates, Robinson gets off to a shaky start. He played out of position at first base and going through a hitting slump, but then gradually wins people over with his talent and determination. The team goes on winning the pennant. Robinson driving in the tying run and scoring the winning one in the deciding game.
I pretty much felt like an outcast when I began high school. Most of my classmates still had their friends from middle school, whereas mine went to the neighboring high school. Having social anxiety really didn’t help me either. It was hard for me to make eye contact with others or even bother to introduce myself to new people. In the first few weeks of high school, something had caught my eye. There were flyers advertising auditions for ‘The Little Mermaid’ production. Taking the risk, I decided to audition. Through the auditorium doors there was a grey table with upperclassmen talking to other students. Located on the table were different character scripts and a clipboard for signing in. One of the strangers approached
Although, it is proven difficult to completely change your point of view from the society you are brought up in. The characters in this film go through a lot of self-reevaluation to find their place in society, as well as a reevaluation of their initial prejudicial
While playing professional baseball, Robinson was wildly given disadvantages. “He risked sanity and safety to give history the last full measure of his strength, nerve, and perseverance.” (Simon, 10). The physical brutalities thrown at Robinson would be enough for an average man to quite, giving into the pressures of what seemed like the whole world, but certainly not Jackie. “Some players were physically violent -- he once received a 7-inch gash in his leg from an opponent who spiked him with his cleats -- while others hurled verbal racial insults at him and his teammates.” (McBirney, 6). Even his teammates were attacked. However, this was after they attacked him themselves, “Initially shunned by fans and even his own teammates, the infielder focused, instead, on being the best in the game,” (Jackie Robinson - Mini Bio, 00:00:33 - 00:00:40). Standing strong, Jackie Robinson seemed almost unfazed by the attacks bolted towards him, even death threats. “Local police had culled the stadium’s mail to show him an assortment of explicit and persuasive death threats,” (Simon, 3). Outstanding poise in the midst of attacks and brutality, Jackie Robinson focused on his top two important things: baseball and equality for
Ralph Ellison’s short story, Battle Royal, is mainly a description of the African American struggle for equality and identity. The narrator of the story is an above average youth of the African American community [Goldstein-Shirlet, 1999]. He is given an opportunity to give a speech to some of the more prestigious white individuals. His expectations of being received in a positive and normal environment are drastically dashed when he is faced with the severity of the process he must deal with in order to accomplish his task. The continuing theme of Battle Royal is that of a struggle for one’s rights against great odds. Instances of this struggle are found throughout the story. Ellison highlights the vastness of the problems faced by the African American community to claim themselves. This is done by the extreme nature of the incidents described in the Battle Royal. A short analysis of the major theme found in Ellison’s Battle Royal, supported by a literary criticism dealing with the tone and style of the story.
Dorinson, Joseph, and Joram Warmund. 1998. Jackie Robinson :Race, Sports, and The American Dream. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe.