Literature analysis #1 (PacMan, Behind the scenes with Manny Pacquiao)

Topics/Events

1. My book is about on one of the, if not the greatest, pound for pound boxer in the world today. That man is Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao. The book describes how his childhood was and how dirt poor he and his family was before he became the greatest boxer in the world. As a child he would rice cakes and bread everyday in the Philippines and him, being the such giving person that he is, would give what ever he had left over to other kids his age he saw on the street. To help provide for his family he dropped out of school and began working at around the age of 12. One time when he was working at construction and selling doughnuts and didn't eat for four days because his employer didn't pay him and around the age of 16 be picked up boxing and he had one hell of an amazing talent for it.

2. The author chose to write about this man to really show that it doesn't matter if you are dirt poor, if you really put in your mind, body, soul, but most of all, heart into anything you do, you will succeed and go far.

3. I chose this book because I want to become a great pro. fighter just like Manny and I want to read and learn about his struggles on how he got to the top.

4. I felt a connection about Manny because my family had to go through the same thing in Mexico and I can only imagine how tough it was for them.

People

 1. I believe that if the next day I meet with Pacquiao that he will be the same jolly, giving and caring person as in the book because he is a person who has no need to put up an act.

2. Two people that are mentioned in this book is obviously Manny, the pro fighter, and the other is his trainer, Freddie Roach, one of the greatest trainers in the world.

3. These people are interesting enough to write about because of Manny's story from poor to rich and Roach's coaching career, which he has trained fighters such as Manny, Miguel Cotto, and even UFC champion GSP.

4. After reading the book, I really feel like I got to meet him and hope that one day I can end up in a boxing ring, him as my opponent and see just how strong I really am.

Style

1. The author uses a journalistic style when writing because he is a journalist/ personaly photographer to being with.

2 The author uses great detail to describe the place where Manny lived and really make you feel like you are in there, witnessing all of the gambling and fights happening.

Enduring Memory 

One thing that will stay in my mind for a long time, about this book, the fact that when he was younger than me, he didn't eat for four days straight and how he turned his huge negative into an amazing positive. 

Vocab: Spring #2

Accoutrements: Additional items of dress of equipment.

Apogee: The highest point in the developement, the climax.

Apropos: Being at once opprotune and to the point.

Bicker: Argue about petty and trivial matters.

Coalesce: Come together and form one mass or whole.

Contretemps: An unexpected and unfortunate occurence.

Convolution: A form or part that is folded or coiled.

Cull: Select from a large quantity.

Disperate: Essentially different in kind; not allowed comparison.

Dogmatic: Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Licentious: Promiscious and unprincipled in sexual matters.

Mete: Disponse or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.

Noxious: Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.

Polemic: A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Populous: Containing many people or inhabitants; having a large population.

Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.

Repartee: Conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or repplies.

Supervene: occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such away as to change the situation.

Truncate: To shorten by or as if by cutting.

Unimpeachable: Not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized.

PROFILE IN COURAGE

When I saw the begging scene, I thought that this was going another sad movie about people who are in wheelchairs and/or don't have full motor skills due to an accident but after about five minutes in, it was the complete opposite of what I thought. Its about people who can't walk and have other disabilities over come that and become olympic champions. Sure they go through struggles but they don't let that keep them from doing what they want to do. What stuck me was that some of them did more now in a wheelchair then when they could walk.

Vocabulary #10

adumbrate- to foreshadow vaguely.

apotheosis-  elevate to divine status

ascetic- practicing strict as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline

bauble- a small ornament (trinket)

beguile- to lead by deception

burgeon-  to send forth new growth

complement-  something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect

contumacious-  stubbornly disobedient

curmudgeon- a , ill-tempered, and usually old man

didactic- designed or intended to teach

THE CHOICE

• The "Choice" that the title is referring to, is for a five year old girl (Rebecca) to either pick between swallowing bitter, foul tasting poison herself or have her parents force it down her throat to save her life.
• I don't believe that this is a real choice because whichever one she chooses, she still has to swallow poison no matter what. They just give the illusion of it being a choice to try and make it less painful.
• The author uses the word "poison" in the first line to try and show some of the pain they are going through, having to do that to their own daughter.
• Rebecca wants to play with a toy that is made for kids eight and up and makes a big scene about wanting to play with it because she knows that she might not live that long.
• If I thought I might not live to the age of 30, I would work/train my body and increase my boxing skills to achieve my dream of becoming the greatest boxer of my time with what time I have left to live.
• In my opinion, I don't see any kind of circumstance in which it makes sense to endure that much pain and discomfort because that "poison" might work as a permanent cure for her but that means she has to go through that pain of swallowing the poison everyday of her life and there is nothing that is worth living with pain.
• I do believe that suffering is a necessary condition to live and love because it shows as that we are human, we do have the emotion to feel sad and to feel happy, we are not mindless artificial creatures.
• We as the reader feel an emotional response to this man's words because we can only begin to imagine the pain he is going through to have to do that to his daughter just to try and save her life but at the same time not kill her yourself by giving too much.