Blog 25

Cinderella Man Outline

• Takes place in New York/ New Jersey during the Great Depression
• James Braddock (protagonist) was a boxer who was forced to retire after breaking his hand in his last fight
• James's wife, Mae, would pray that he would quit boxing before he was permanently injured
• Like most families during the Great Depression, the Braddocks struggled to pay the bills and feed their children
• James worked at the docks when shifts were available (very few workers chosen, high unemployment rate) but still dreamed of being a boxer again
• Years after his last fight, James's old manager was able to provide him with another opportunity at boxing with a substitute fight against the second-ranked world contender
• Surprisingly, Braddock won this fight which allowed his boxing career to progress once again
• Braddock fights younger, stronger, and heavier boxers in the ring, but maintains his winning streak
• James is named the "Cinderella Man" for his amazing comeback
• He is a symbol of hope and determination for America
• Eventually, he gets the chance to fight the heavyweight champion, Max Baer, for the title
• Baer has killed two men in the ring and everyone (including his family) believed he would be the third
• Mae begs James to not take the fight and to stop trying to get more glory and publicity
• She doesn't realize what Braddock represents to other American families until right before the final fight
• Mae realized the symbol of hope James is to so many people and that he isn't just fighting for his own family - he fights for America.
• In the end, Braddock beat Max Baer in the championship fight and won the title