Memoir of James Braddock - Admission/Application Essay Example

?Memoir of boxer James Braddock during the Great Depression in 1929 to 1940 Analytical ment The character chosen to represent the period in American history between 1925 to 1945 is James Braddock. James Braddock was a professional boxer from New Jersey who was light heavyweight champion contender. He lived between June 7, 1905 to November 29, 1974 where he witnessed and experience the depths of economic quagmire of the great depression. James Braddock is chosen as the character to depict the hardship during the Great Depression because his life as well as his career showed how the lives of Americans were altered from relative prosperity to poverty. Millions of Americans lost their homes and jobs and so did James Braddock who had to sell their house and settle in a basement apartment where they usually miss payments of their rent and utilities. He also had to do manual work as a longshoreman to feed his family. James Braddock also makes an ideal character to reflect a memoir during the Great Depression from 1929 to 1940 because of his resiliency and will to overcome challenges despite all the odds stacked against him. He became desperate for money just like most Americans during the Great Depression and even went to a point to ask money from his manager and friends which is very painful for a proud fighter just like Braddock. But this experience of Braddock is also shared by most Americans during the Great Depression where many were forced to ask for alms to survive. A character that catapulted the country from the mire of poverty during the Great Depression to the most powerful country after the Second World War ended. Memoir of James Braddock Before the Great Depression Life is great. I just won a boxing fight and the prize fight these days are terrific. Since I have more than enough money, I think my wife Mae will be surprised for this jewelry present for her. I know it is not her birthday but it would make a great surprise to give this to her because I know she had been eyeing this in the jewelry store the last time we went there. Advent of the Great Depression (October 29, 1929) I am a boxer so I am not really familiar with the stock market works. I heard this Black Tuesday stock market crash (blacktuesday.org) that sent business into bankruptcy. Companies are beginning to lay-off employees. I heard my neighbor Joe just lost his job and I’m worried that this might affect boxing because people will no longer have spare money to buy its door tickets. The Great Depression It is difficult to believe that America can sink into this poverty. Almost everybody I know lost their jobs and I think that includes me already because I do not have prize fights anymore. Bills are piling up while I am not making any money. Selling the house It pains me but I had to sell the house. Prize fights are no longer coming because people can no longer afford to pay boxing matches. Promoters are getting conservative and are rarely staging prize fights if any. There had been no more prize fights for me but our bills continue to pile up. My family had to eat and it breaks my heart that children are now getting hungry because we didn’t have any more money to buy food. I just hope that when the economy recovers, I can again a buy a house to shelter my family. I sold the house less than its acquisition price because I am desperate for money and there are just not enough buyers. I took the highest bid on the house which is not really high enough to at least recoup the money I spent to buy it (Thapar 139). But at least we have enough money to settle our debts and a little something more to tide us over this crisis. Hopefully this economic depression will soon be over before my money runs out. After the money run out This Great Depression is lethal. It is killing the soul of every American. The proceeds from the sale of the house are already gone and work at the pier as a longshoreman is getting scarcer. I am a strong man and I cannot understand why I have to go to Social Security to ask for money. But I had to. But even that is not enough to pay the bills and feed the children. I am getting desperate because the kids are getting hungry and sick so I have to find money somewhere. It embarrasses me but I have to ask money from friends, my manager John Gould to tide us over. Break on a fight with John “Corn” Griffin I am not sure if its luck or by the grace of God but I am given a fight with John “Corn” Griffin. Corn Griffin is a highly regarded contender fighter and I know that I am just there for a tune up fight for his upcoming bigger bouts (boxrec.com). But heck I am taking it. There might less time to train but I am not letting this opportunity pass. This fight also gives a good prize which my family needs. I will win this fight no matter what. My family needs this money. After defeating John “Corn” Griffin I don’t know what happened but the moment the bell rung, I knew I can win this fight. Early in the fight, I felt Corn Griffin’s punches and I can take it. He can’t knock me out with those kinds of punches. So as the fight went on, I knew I can beat him and I did. The fight with John “Corn” Griffin opened many opportunities for me. I was slated to John Henry Lewis and beat him and also Art Lasky whose nose I broke. I am happy with how things are going but my injured hand is hurting. I cannot stop and I am not letting Mae know that my hand hurt. I can’t stop and I don’t want her to worry about me. Not now especially when money is starting to come in. Mae and the kids had been starving since this Great Depression started and it is only now that I can give them some relief. I will win my coming fights no matter what. Braddock won the Heavyweight Championship against Baer Even I cannot believe it, but I won against the legendary puncher Max Baer. I was only out there to make money to give to my family and to give my best but I was given more than I ask for. Finally, I am seeing our hardship about to end that my wife and kids no longer have to worry about food and shelter. The end of the Great Depression I thought it will never end. This Great Depression that did not only take the livelihood and homes of most Americans but their dignity and soul as well. I have seen so many respectable men and women before who were shed in tatters by the economic depression. I am thankful that I voted President Roosevelt because he seemed to know the solution on how to end this economic plague. I am not much of an economist but I know that somehow people got to have jobs to live decently. I heard President Roosevelt from the radio that he has this New Deal economic program that is focused on relief, recovery and reform to end this nightmare (Historylearningsite.com). So far, this program seemed to look good because early on, I saw banks opening already. I hope these banks will hire more people so that there will be more jobs and also to lend money to business so that they can operate again and hire more workers. I think the government is also on a spending spree with this New Deal because they have been building roads and buildings here and there which I think is good because people are now having jobs (Romer 780)). Hopefully, this will continue so that the depression will already end and let America stand on its feet again. As for me, I think my personal Great Depression is already over. I had enough money from my winnings for retirement. Works Cited "Black Tuesday." Black Tuesday. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. . Christina D. Romer. “What Ended the Great Depression?” The Journal of Economic History , Vol. 52, No. 4 (Dec., 1992), pp. 757-784. Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History Association[http://www.jstor.org/stable/2123226] "Jim Braddock vs. Corn Griffin." 1934-06-14 : Jim Braddock 180 lbs beat Corn Griffin 184? lbs by TKO at 2:37 in round 3 of 5. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. Read More