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| A better life (Simon) |
Chapter Sixteen Response In One And Done
Clarett continues to fumble when faced with adversity, creating the familiar environment of chaos. We see this with his distorted belief system, sending him further into self-destruction. When learning that Ashley is pregnant along with him having a lengthy prison sentence in his near future, Clarett panics, “So I was thinking I need to make some money. I was thinking I had to get in the streets and put in more work and make more money, 100% (Clarett 196).”
Through his repeated pattern of poor decisions, we learn that Clarett has not learned from his past mistakes and still lacks the understanding of how his actions affect other people and his future. The reality is, Clarett continues to drop the ball, not because he does not want to win at life, but because no one draws the kid a game plan.
All Clarett knows is, “The only thing that separated me was that I was tougher and stronger than them. So I had to figure out how to leverage this in the offense that we played (Clarett 74).” Clarett’s approach to football is also his approach to life, which does not work, but it is what he knows. His parents, society, and institutions abandoned him as a child, leaving him to build his belief system modeled after gangsta rappers and Mike Tyson.
Works Cited
Simon, B. “Where Are They Now?” www.gettyimages.com, Sports Illustrated Classic Collection #172558405, Getty Images, 5 May 2013. Photograph. gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/where-are-they-now-closeup-portrait-of-former-ohio-state-news-photo/172558405. Accessed 4 March 2021.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI agree with on how how you stated that Clarett approach to football is also his approach to life. As I was reading, I too couldn’t help but think that he let his environment change his life for the worse. He had an opportunity of a lifetime, but his mentality sort of ruined it for him. I think you worded it perfectly.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking to, I feel Maurice is in a difficult situation similar to the way you described as fumbling the ball. I'd say that Maurice dealing with Ashley being pregnant and the armed robbery must have been an extremely tough situation to be in. Maurice stated in the beginning of the chapter how Ashley was living her prime life and then went on to say how he almost derailed her plans, while I was reading this chapter, I was thinking poor pregnant Ashley, she is almost clueless or quiet about his life and would have never thought a pro football player was doing anything he was doing like stealing. I wonder if she was thought about Maurice ending up like her father in and out of prison his whole life vs what life could have been for them and their future family. I think it was a cool title for the chapter because she sticks by his side. I also love your photo choice for this blog post, well done it really captures Maurice choosing family, and a better life.
-Alia
I totally agree with your take on this chapter. Maurice is something my grandmother would describe as “hard-headed”. He kept digging himself in a deeper whole, and I thought the baby and lengthy prison sentence would force him to “sit down somewhere”.
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