English Class Writing Assignment - Essay Example

Full Men of Honor Men of Honor (Tillman) is a film based on a true story which tells about the determination of the firstblack man to enter the U.S. Navy from being a cook promoted to the highest rank, Master Chief Diver. Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. came from a poor family whose father was a farmer who labored much to raise his family to a better life. The son tasted the beatings of being a farmer’s child, enduring the heat and hardship of helping in the farm while he strived to finish grade 7.

With the wishes of his father for his son to have a better life, he always pushed him to be the best in whatever endeavor he takes and to never quit. Their chance came when Carl was recruited to work in the U.S. Navy with both the father and son expecting too much from this break, not knowing he will just be helping in the kitchen, giving him the mocking of his own color. While on break on the deck, Carl and his co-workers were watching the divers do their exercises and being lured by the waters; the young man readied himself to dive, against the will of his companions and the white Americans.

When an attempt was made to make him get out of the water, he swam towards the middle of the sea with skill that impressed the trainer. He was then promoted as a diver, allowing him to see the dangers of his job. When an accident happened that called for an immediate rescue, Carl witnessed Billy Sunday, played by Robert DeNiro, do the rescue without any diving gear to protect him in the water, with all passion and fervor to his duties, dived against his commander’s will. This event led to a sickness that prevented him from continuing with his responsibilities, thus, was appointed to training master divers.

Carl boldly went to the trainer who promoted him and expressed his wishes to become what he wanted, a master diver. The trainer laughed at this idea because black men are not allowed to be in the U.S. Navy but that he was just asked to dive because he is good at it. Yet this did not break Carl’s dream, instead, flamed it all the more for him to take all the courage to convince the trainer to give him a personal recommendation, as Carl owes him to be the best for the chance he was given. After two years, Carl meets his trainer as a master diver, Billy Sunday.

Being black, he was prejudiced, not allowed to enter the training camp even after meeting his trainer at the gate, yet stood in wait through the day and with his persuasive words, made Sunday get him in the camp. Discriminated from the very start by his trainer and fellow trainees and being unjustly treated, Carl was not deterred to complete what he wanted. During his first days, he was failing his exams and was warned about it that he might fail if he does not improve his scholastic performances.

Wisely using his spare time, he contacted the librarian for tutoring which was turned down. Fortunately, there was this lady who was reviewing at the library for her exams to become a doctor who eventually took time to help him because of the determination he showed. Thus, he improved greatly and a romance budded as his training was coming to an end, though his sufferings were far from being thwarted. He suffered injustice when, irony of ironies, the trainee who abandoned his duties was rewarded instead of Carl who rescued his dying companion.

He passed his final drills completing it in more than nine hours under the sea because his tool bag was deliberately cut so that his tools were scattered on the ocean floor, meant to make him fail. Most of all, he graduated his course despite the attempts of his superiors to break him, physically and emotionally. Such a strong spirit is what I admire and the very reason why I like the movie, as the story does not end there. Carl eventually married his tutor and girlfriend who became a doctor and he became a master diver as he wished.

His job made him a hero when he retrieved a bomb from the sea which unfortunately caused one leg to be cut when, saving his companions from an imminent danger, he took the blow of which. Despite this, with the help of his hard won advocate, he fought for his re-instatement which made him to be the first black man and with a prosthetic leg to be in active service. Such gallantry is worth documenting to challenge us in our undertakings. Reference Men of Honor. Dir. George Tillman, Jr. Perf. Robert DeNiro, Cuba Gooding, Jr.

, Hal Holbrook, David Keith, Michael Rapaport, Powers Boothe, Aunjanue Ellis and Charlize Theron. Fox 2000 Pictures, 2000. DVD.