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Supervisor’s due: Maya Angelou chapter 19: Champion of the world Chapter nineteen of Maya’s story clearly opens up with the identification of local blacks who are in the face of Joe Louis. These people give full support throughout the story by trials interpretations through beatings, lynching, and running after by hounds. In the story, there is also an encounter with a white Caucasian personality by the name Carnera. This scene not only creates radio era culture but also justifies and explains the hero worship of black athletes by African American, who are the majority characters in this book (Angelou 132).
The story occurs in the night of the expected champion fight. Chapter 19 gives a full description of small southern town of Stamp residents who are present in Momma’s store. These people are fully engaged to the ongoing championship boxing in the radio. This fight is between Carnera, who is Caucasian and Joe Louis representing the African American. In the event of the fight, Louis almost loses the fight but at the end of the fight he manages to win the fight. The win for the world champion title triumphs both the fighter and the whole race.
In this respect, there is an indication that people can be united by a common belief or desires in the major events like this one. The fully crouched bodies in the store listening attentively to the prize fight indicate the coincidental placing of individuals with a common goal (Angelou 133). The reason behind the occurrence of the story is to create hope. The strong hope is then shaken when Louis indicates a sign of losing. Despair is uttered by the abrupt switch of confidence and hope. The author also uses the story to induce a sense of desperation where he points the fear of retreating to slavery for the African American people in the case of Joe losing the fight (Angelou 135).
Another factor contributing to the happening of the story is the induction of the mood of greatness after the depression point uplift. In the story, Angelou plans the story events to empower rejoice mood in contrast with the desperation mood. The whole chapter narrates a story in the target for the deliverance theme immediately after the change of scene from the cool air in the night (Dungy and Whitaker 76). The story unfolds at the store full of people keenly listening to the main fight for Joe Louis on the radio.
Joe is fighting the white man hence wins majority of the supporters in the store due to the black identity. Joe’s victory determines many factors amongst the black race. In accordance to the African American, Louis win gives supporters a substantial belief as the strongest people in the globe. The Stamps’ citizens embrace their situation by full participation to the victorious contest (Bloom 63). These people believe that the fight can place thing to either horrible state or improvement which is illogical.
The fight for equality and respect earning for the black athletes cannot fully change just from boxing contest. The outcome creates a gain to the black race but overwhelms envision. The chapter beginning coincides with an introductory opinion on sports in society. As the societal core, sports can either benefit a human being or worsen the status. Sports also influence the culture in a great way. Joe Louis fight opens up to the thing beyond victory. In conclusion, Angelou creates a reference point that her race can be defeated but not fully broken down.
Works citedAngelou, Maya. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. 1st ed. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2009. Print.Bloom, Harold. Maya Angelous I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1998. Print.Dungy, Tony, and Nathan Whitaker. Uncommon. 1st ed. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011. Print.
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