As an international student, I knew nothing about Jackie Robinson and the history of integration before examining the course materials and watching the film. Therefore, reading “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete,” written by William C. Roden, was a completely new experience. It was advantageous to become aware of this person’s significance to the United States and the resolution of the racial issue in sports in particular. Also, the presence of numerous sources of different kinds, such as movies and books, allowed for comparing the presented information about Jackie Robinson, which was interesting from the perspective of other people’s attitudes to the matter.
It is clear that there is a similarity between the narrative of Disney’s “42” and the facts, which are generally known to the public concerning this story, as I can see from others’ feedback. However, because this information is new to me, I can only rely on my classmates’ opinions in considering the common elements in these areas. They claim that the resemblance is definite, whereas the differences are insignificant since this piece accurately depicts the actual events. Hence, I tend to agree with them, and the book’s chapters are evidence of this stance.
In turn, the comparison of Rhoden’s writings with the film shows that the former adds more details to the story and, consequently, to the context of the described events. Thus, for example, the problematic integration of black athletes was multi-faceted as it included various aspects, such as the perception of interdependence by African Americans (Rhoden). In the chapter, it was written that this concept was crucial for their achievements in the field, whereas the people who intended to join the white leagues were deprived of this assistance (Rhoden). Thus, Rhoden’s work changes the story by showing the psychological underpinning of this process.
Works Cited
42. Directed by Brian Helgeland, performance by Chadwick Boseman, Legendary Pictures, 2013.
Rhoden, William C. Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. Crown Publishers, 2006.