Martin Espada dedicated “The Trouble Ball” to his father, Frank Espada. The author takes readers on a poetic journey to Brooklyn. Espada alludes to the experience of his father’s first American baseball game at Ebbets Field in 1941 as a new immigrant (Espada). This game has significantly shaped how the poem was written and impacted. For instance, Espada’s Puerto Rican father understands, at the age of eleven, that dark-skinned athletes are not permitted on the field. The poet employs poetry and allusion to the baseball game to express his goal to highlight the agony that injustice can create. The paper will analyze how Espada uses symbolism and figurative language to express these emotions, particularly simile and personification, to illustrate the agony of discrimination in this period through baseball.
The allusion in “The Trouble Ball” to the baseball game at Ebbets Field in 1941 refers to an actual historical event in which African American and Latino players were excluded from playing in the major leagues due to segregation and racial prejudice. At the time, baseball was seen as the national pastime, and many immigrants, including Espada’s father, saw it as a way to assimilate into American culture (Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946). However, the segregation of players based on their race prevented many talented athletes from being able to participate in the sport at its highest level. This segregation persisted until 1947, when Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the major leagues, breaking the color barrier. Espada’s use of this allusion in the poem highlights the pain and injustice caused by segregation and discrimination and its impact on his father and other immigrants.
In “The Trouble Ball,” Espada uses symbolism to convey the pain and injustice experienced by his father and other immigrants due to segregation and discrimination in baseball. The poem’s title, “The Trouble Ball,” symbolizes the difficulties and challenges faced by those excluded from playing the sport. The ball itself represents the obstacle and discrimination that they had to overcome (Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946). Additionally, the mention of Ebbets Field, a real baseball stadium where these segregationist practices took place, symbolizes the institutionalized racism and prejudice in American society at the time. Through symbolism, Espada effectively conveys the emotional impact of these experiences and the lasting effects they had on his father and others.
Furthermore, Espada also uses personification to convey the injustices due to segregation and discrimination in baseball. The personification of baseball itself as a “trouble ball” helps bring to life the difficulties and challenges faced by those excluded from playing the sport. By giving the ball human characteristics, such as the ability to cause trouble, Espada can more effectively convey the emotional impact of these experiences and the lasting effects they had on his father and others (Hobby). The personification of the ball also highlights the institutionalized racism and prejudice that existed in American society at the time, as it is clear that the ball is not causing trouble on its own, but rather it is being used as a tool to perpetuate injustice. This personification further adds to the symbolic meaning of the ball as an obstacle and a symbol of discrimination.
Additionally, Espada uses the symbolism of the pitcher’s mound to convey the segregation and discrimination in baseball. The pitcher’s mound represents the highest level of the sport, a place where only the best players are allowed to compete. However, for Espada’s father and other immigrants who were excluded from playing due to segregation, the pitcher’s mound symbolizes their unfairness and exclusion. Espada’s use of this symbolism highlights how segregation and discrimination caused emotional pain and injustice and denied opportunities and individuals the chance to reach their full potential. The symbolism of the pitcher’s mound illustrates the poem’s thesis, which is that discrimination and segregation can create agony and hardship for those who are excluded.
Consequently, Espada deploys figurative language to bring to life the difficulty and challenges faced by those excluded from playing the sport, symbolizing the institutionalized racism and prejudice that existed in American society at the time. He employs similes to illustrate the anguish of discrimination, particularly in the lines, “By the time I raised my head, it was gone like Ebbets Field. I walked slowly home” (Espada). By comparing the plight of immigrants and other excluded players to a pitcher who is blamed for losses, Espada can effectively convey the unfairness and injustice of the situation.
Espada also uses metaphor as figurative language in the poem. The metaphor of “a wall of silence” illustrates the institutionalized racism and prejudice in American society at the time (Hobby). This metaphor effectively conveys the sense of exclusion and alienation experienced by those who were denied the opportunity to participate in the sport at its highest level. This metaphor also highlights how discrimination and segregation can create agony and hardship for those excluded.
In conclusion, Martin Espada’s “The Trouble Ball” is a powerful and poignant tribute to his father and the impact of segregation and discrimination on immigrants in American baseball. Through symbolism and figurative language, particularly simile and personification, Espada effectively conveys the emotional toll of these experiences and their lasting effects on his father and others. The allusion to the real historical event of segregation in baseball at Ebbets Field in 1941 highlights the institutionalized racism and prejudice in American society at the time. Espada’s poem serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of acknowledging and combating injustice and how it can shape and impact the lives of individuals and communities.
Works Cited
“Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946.” Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, Web.
Espada, Frank. “The Trouble Ball.” Martinespada.net. Web.
Hobby, Susan. “Poetry Moment: Trouble on the field with MartĂn Espada.” HoCoPoLitSo, Web.