Discuss the author's many references to baseball by sharing specific examples from the novel. How does this game enhance the novel's plot and tone? Please include page references!
Baseball played a large part in setting the tone for the story. Reesa’s brother, Ren, loved playing baseball with their friend, Marvin. After Marvin’s death, Reesa says that there is a song made of heartfelt sorrow (ch10), and Ren’s song is the throwing of a baseball against an empty wall. Baseball was Ren’s way of grieving Marvin, putting a sad spin on the all-American game. Also in this chapter, we learn that Marvin used to say, “Baseball is a little piece of heaven on Earth.” (pg71) Everyone is an equal on the field, whether you’re black or white. This perspective on baseball makes the sport seem like a safe refuge to think about during the times of the klan. In chapter 19, the big game for the pennant took place. Close friends gathered together, and they tried to forget about their worries of the klan while watching the game. Because the Dodgers lost the game, Reesa then compared baseball to being just like life. (pg134) Life isn’t all fun and games, and it often times doesn’t go your way. Life in this book is hard and stressful. Baseball was a little break from the activities of the klan. After the Dodgers lost to the Giants, everyone was brought back to the reality that life is what it is. They can’t change the fact that the Dodgers lost the game, or that innocent people are being killed and accused because of the klan.
The novel’s plot was based a little bit around the All-American sport of baseball. By Chapter Ten, Marie mentions about her brother Ren’s ‘grieving song’ as a simple series of beats, “Bhhh-dmmm (pause) pfff; sometimes harder, BHH-DMM, sometimes softer, Buhhhh-dummmm, with a varying pause, and a final pfff.” That grief song would be the sound of Ren throwing a baseball at a wall. Going on to page 68 of chapter ten, she said, “Marvin gave me nicknames, Bible Drill secrets, Mistuh Bee stories. But his gift to Ren was baseball.” Ren loved baseball ever since Marvin gave him his first glove on his sixth birthday, especially when they followed the game on the radio to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The two would go through plays made by their favorite players and even make some up together on their own. Baseball seemed to have made the tone of the story sound so happy until after Marvin’s death and when the Dodgers lost to the Giants in chapter nineteen in the middle of page 133. Everyone’s hopes were low, and it really brought the mood of the novel down to a very depressing level. Whenever baseball was mentioned throughout the novel, it would either be rejoiced because of the thrill and love of the sport, or it would be mourned because of the remembrance of the loss of a great friend.
Baseball is referenced throughout the novel; the game is a big part of life in Mayflower. Everyone gets together on game day, for example in the beginning of chapter nineteen the Dodgers vs. Giants match is referenced. The game was the topic of discussion for Ren, Marvin, and Reesa. After Marvin passed away the discussion changed to how much Marvin loved baseball. The only way Ren could grieve for Marvin was to throw a baseball against an empty wall. The game that the three friends enjoyed together became a way to remember their lost friend. Baseball was a big part of the three friend’s lives as well as everyone in the small town of Mayflower. The Author's use of Baseball throughout the book showed that the town's people, even though torn by racism, had at least one thing in common.
Baseball was a large part of this novel. For Ren, it was one of his only connections to Marvin after he was killed. For Marvin, baseball was like Heaven on Earth. On pages seventy to seventy-one, Reesa wasn't able to understand the whole deal about baseball. Marvin explained that the pitcher was like God, The Son behind home plate, The Holy Ghost as a shortstop, and all of the outfielders as His angels. Marvin states that, "In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." (page 71). Baseball was Marvin's escape to his own world, where he wasn't judged based on his skin color. He also says, "That ain't like life, Roo. That's Heaven on Earth!" The reason baseball is used in this game is to show that even through the bad times, like Marvin being judged, you can still have a good time through baseball. I agree with 15sannerj's post when she says, "Life in this book is hard and stressful. Baseball was a little break from the activities of the Klan." Which it definitely was. When Jackie Robinson was on the field, many of the men of Mayflower still supported Robinson, even though he was black. Baseball was a breakout from racism, even if it only lasted for a little while.
Baseball is a large part of the novel for many reasons. Marvin used the game to create a friendship with Ren that no one else had with him. They were obsessed with playing the game, watching and listening about it, and reading about it. When Marvin died, Ren used baseball to grieve for his lost friend. It says in Ch. 10 that Ren kept playing baseball on his own and even turned down a chance to listen to the first game of the season. The game was used by Marvin to describe what “heaven on earth” looks like because of the fact that African Americans were considered to be equal men as whites on the field (Pgs. 70-71). Finally, baseball is used to bring the community together to forget the events going on around them. When the Dodgers did well, the town’s spirits seemed to rise. When the Dodgers lost the pennant game to the Giants, they whole town was sobbing out of loss. Baseball had the power to move the spirits of a town under siege, which further proves why it was such a large part of the novel.
Baseball was very much talked about in this novel. I knew that baseball was a big sport at that time, but I still could not fully comprehend why Susan Carol McCarthy included it in the story. Now that I think of it, I believe that it is used to enhance the theme and tone of "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands", as well as the plot. As Marvin told Reesa, baseball is "a bit of Heaven on Earth"( page 7 of 9 in chapter 10). When Marvin was explaining to Reesa why baseball was so important, he included a statement that made me truly understand Susan Carol McCarthy's thinking. On page 8 of 9 in chapter 10, Marvin says, “But here's the best part Roo: Once you get in, you jus' as good as everybody else. In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." If I am correct, this statement describes the whole story in a few sentences. However, I also agree with 15sannerj when she said, “This perspective makes the sport seem like a safe refuge to think about during the times of the Klan.” When the Klan was out bombing places and up to no good, people would watch baseball, and admire that on the field, everyone was treated equal. This reminds me of what people believe when they think of Heaven.
Baseball plays an important role in this book. Marvin, who died in the beginning of the book, loved baseball. He even said baseball was a little piece of heaven of earth. Baseball was a way for people in Mayflower to put aside all the terror and murders, and the bad things that happen in Mayflower. Baseball was a way for the people in Mayflower, to ignore the Klan. I agree with 15gourliasp when he said in his post that baseball was used in this novel to enhance the theme and tone, as well as the plot. When watching baseball the people of Mayflower could see that there is still hope for everyone being treated equal. Baseball was almost like a break from racism. Most of the the references in the book for this blog post are already taken. My favorite one, and the one i would of used in my own, is 15sannerj's about Reesa on page 134. She compared baseball to being just like life. The dodgers loosing the game is like the stuggle between Reesa, Marvin, Luther, Armetta, Doto, Reesa's parents, and the Klan.
Baseball enhances the book's plot in tone in a few ways. Everyone views baseball differently as the mood of the book changes. When things are going badly in Mayflower, baseball seems more depressing. Before Marvin died, baseball was a very happy sport and topic. When Marvin died, baseball seemed to be a reminder of his death, and as a result, baseball as not talked about in the same happy tone that it used to be. On page 67, Reesa talks about her brother's “grief song”, which is the sound of a baseball hitting the house. She says that it is a constant reminder of Marvin's death. Baseball is now a reference to death, and Reesa starts to talk about it as a reference to death. The situation is very sad, and the way they talk about baseball reflects that. Baseball is also considered to be the way the world should be. In baseball, a black man is given the same opportunity to be great as a white man. On page 71, Marvin talks about how in baseball, a black man can be better than a white man, and get recognition for it. In a world with so much racism, baseball seems to consider all players equal, and every one is given the same chance.
A very large part of this novel was based around baseball. Baseball was very important, especially to Ren and Marvin. Baseball was Ren’s only connection to Marvin after his death. Reesa couldn’t comprehend why baseball was such a big deal but Marvin referred to baseball as, “Heaven on Earth.” On page seventy-one it states that Marvin said, “"In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." Also, I agree with 15humphreyg when she said, “Baseball was Marvin’s only escape from his own world, and where he wasn’t based on his skin color.” Marvin felt like he could be himself while he was playing baseball because there was no one to judge him. Baseball was a getaway from racism.
The game of baseball enhances the tone and plot of the story by having black and white people be equal on the field. In the baseball references we see the blacks and whites together and we see a more peaceful world. I agree with so many of the other students who quoted Marvin who said that baseball is like heaven on Earth. But another quote (pg. 71) that has more power is “In Heaven, a black man can out-hit, out-run, out-field a white man and live to tell about it”. This quote sums up the racial issues and how they want equality. On page 134, Reesa is reminding the reader that things don’t always go your way. Reesa tells the story about how the Dodgers lost their game against the Giants. “God came down on the wrong side of the right. And made baseball , as Red Barber says, “just like life”.” Reality like life is not always fair.
Baseball plays a very important role in Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands. On page 68 of chapter 10, Ressa (As the narrator) first tells us that Ren really liked baseball after Marvin showed it to him. Ren likes the Brooklyn Dodgers and the entire town seemed to like it with him. Baseball kind of brought a good feeling and mood to the book. You knew nothing traumatic would happen when baseball was on. The most depressing thing that happened while listening to baseball was the Dodgers losing to the Giants in Game 7 of the NLCS (National League Championship Series). That is also one of the reasons I enjoy sports so much. It brings people together for happy moments and memories to last. Sports are something special in life and in the book. They play a very important role in both.
The sport of baseball is mentioned throughout the book, “Lay that Trumpet in Our Hands.” I believe the main purpose for highlighting the sport of baseball throughout the book was to give Ren, Reesa’s brother, a more specialized character. In the book, baseball is a key character trait that sets Ren apart from Reesa’s other family members. It also pulls him into the story by giving him a personal attachment to Marvin, who taught him baseball in the first place. On page 69, their relationship is fully acknowledged by paragraphs 6 and 7, which detail Marvin’s mentor-like relationship to Ren “Rocket Man” McMahon when he teaches him the sport of baseball. As I have been reading the paragraphs of my fellow students, I have noticed that many of them attributed Ren and the African-American community’s close ties to baseball due to Major League Baseball’s equality between races. This idea is especially prominent in the works by Dan Wilcko, Sam Silver, and 15gormanj. I fully agree with their explanation of baseballs success among the African-American Community. Even after Marvin’s death, Ren reaffirms the strong love for baseball that Marvin instilled inside of him, on page 225, when he tells Reesa how he boldly gave Mr. Casselton the V sign Marvin taught him. This act of courage confirms that Ren is proud of who he is, despite his distinction from the majority of the white, baseball-loving population due to his association with the half African-American baseball team, the Dodgers.
The author mentions baseball many times in the novel, but two places really stuck out to me. The first time that the author mentioned baseball was after Marvin had died and Reesa flash-backed to when Marvin told her the story comparing baseball to Heaven (p 71). This enhance's the novels plot and tone because it shows that the Lord is all around you and He will give you three chances to get in the gates of Heaven. Once you get in, however, everybody gets along no matter what color your skin is, or what religion you are. The second time that baseball stood out to me in the novel is when Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe make it onto the all-star team (p 111-112). This shows that, in baseball, the color of your skin does not matter, it's the way that you play the game. I believe that this refers to the game of life. In the novel, everyone is hoping that one day, Negroes will be treated the same as whites. Well, soon people will realize that skin color does not matter, it is the way that you treat people. Eventually, blacks will be given the chance to live life like everyone else, just like they were given the chance to play baseball. This enhances the book's plot and tone because it shows that everyone can have hope and that one day life would be like baseball.
Susan Carol McCarthy references baseball throughout the whole book. Reesa, in chapter ten, talks about how somewhere someone is grieving to music, and that everyone’s song is different. Her brother’s is the sound of a baseball hitting their back wall. It helps with his grieving of Marvin. Marvin and Ren’s relationship was built off their love for baseball and the Dodgers. Marvin explained baseball as Heaven on Earth. There was the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and god was standing on the pitcher’s mound. He felt that it was a place where race didn’t matter, just like heaven. (pages 70 and 71) In chapter nineteen when their behind the Tomasinis’ store the whole group is excited about the pennant. And many are thinking about how Marvin would have loved it. After the Dodgers lose to the Giants they’re all crushed and several of them cry. This shows that baseball takes the community’s mind off the chaos in Florida, and helps them escape the racism because when their watching baseball they are all equal.
Baseball is obviously a very popular sport in central Florida, but why did Susan McCarthy write so much about it in the book? It all starts on page 67 when Reesa talks about the mourning of her and her brother. After that page there are many more references to baseball, surprisingly after most of these references there is also a reference to Marvin. Because of this fact I have decided that the reason baseball is in the book, is to build upon Marvin's character. Before baseball was talked about, all we knew was that Marvin was nice, smart, and friendly. Now we know that he was also loving, he gave up his valuable time to teach Ren how to play baseball. He didn't stop there though, he played with Ren everyday, he taught him to love the Brooklyn Dodgers. So the answer the the question I asked at the beginning is; to help us understand the characters of Ren and Marvin.
Baseball played a huge role in the story especially to Ren and Marvin. In chapter ten you hear about Ren's grieving song when the baseball hits the wall. The whole family used to watch the games. Not just the families but the whole town would too. (As mentioned on page 70.) Marvin says Baseball was heaven on earth and that shows how big baseball was to him. He also saw baseball as equal. Whites, Blacks, Jews really anyone could play and they would be treated with respect, fairness and equality. Baseball even through the violence and racism showed the whole town did in fact have something in common.
Baseball help the characters express themselves. It gives the novel a unique quality. For example, in chapter ten, Ren uses baseball as a way to mourn. Reesa even calls it the grieving song on page sixty seven. Baseball also allows Ren to be happy for the first time since Marvin dies. He is excited and happy when his favorite team excels. It brings everyone together too. Everyone goes to Sal's to watch the game. Baseball is a main point in the book that helps characters to express themselves, gives the book an easy tone, and gives the plot a unique quality.
Throughout the novel, baseball plays a major factor in the town of Mayflower. The events caused by the Ku Klux Klan were tragic, but baseball put a spark of happiness in all of the chaos. For example, in chapter 19, the Dodgers played the Giants for the tile of the pennant. A huge crowd of friends and family developed at Sal and Sophia’s store to watch the game. Marvin describes baseball as, “A little piece of heaven on Earth” on pages 70-71. He explains how it is heaven on earth to Ressa. For example, Marvin states, “The pitcher’s like God, standin’ highest on the mound, playin’ catch with The Son behind home plate.” Marvin was right when he explains how baseball is like life, because when the Dodgers lost the title of the pennant, it was the same time that Mayflower was going through tough times. Baseball was based on the plot of the novel whether it was a happy, joyous time, or a sad, tragic time.
In the book when baseball is mentioned it serves as mourning for Marvin, but instead of being about the sadness of it all, it serves to remind all the happiness he brought to everyones life. Like in page 69, where I agree with 15tuttlet on Ren and Marvins mentor-like releationship. But almost as important as the mourning reason I have previously said, is the way baseball is a little piece of heaven(pg70-71), for both blacks, and whites. It shows that when playing baseball, people seem to completely forget the outside world,they seem to completely forget the KKK, racism, and everything. Its the only place where everyone is equal.
Baseball played a large part in setting the tone for the story. Reesa’s brother, Ren, loved playing baseball with their friend, Marvin. After Marvin’s death, Reesa says that there is a song made of heartfelt sorrow (ch10), and Ren’s song is the throwing of a baseball against an empty wall. Baseball was Ren’s way of grieving Marvin, putting a sad spin on the all-American game. Also in this chapter, we learn that Marvin used to say, “Baseball is a little piece of heaven on Earth.” (pg71) Everyone is an equal on the field, whether you’re black or white. This perspective on baseball makes the sport seem like a safe refuge to think about during the times of the klan. In chapter 19, the big game for the pennant took place. Close friends gathered together, and they tried to forget about their worries of the klan while watching the game. Because the Dodgers lost the game, Reesa then compared baseball to being just like life. (pg134) Life isn’t all fun and games, and it often times doesn’t go your way. Life in this book is hard and stressful. Baseball was a little break from the activities of the klan. After the Dodgers lost to the Giants, everyone was brought back to the reality that life is what it is. They can’t change the fact that the Dodgers lost the game, or that innocent people are being killed and accused because of the klan.
ReplyDeleteThe novel’s plot was based a little bit around the All-American sport of baseball. By Chapter Ten, Marie mentions about her brother Ren’s ‘grieving song’ as a simple series of beats, “Bhhh-dmmm (pause) pfff; sometimes harder, BHH-DMM, sometimes softer, Buhhhh-dummmm, with a varying pause, and a final pfff.” That grief song would be the sound of Ren throwing a baseball at a wall. Going on to page 68 of chapter ten, she said, “Marvin gave me nicknames, Bible Drill secrets, Mistuh Bee stories. But his gift to Ren was baseball.” Ren loved baseball ever since Marvin gave him his first glove on his sixth birthday, especially when they followed the game on the radio to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The two would go through plays made by their favorite players and even make some up together on their own. Baseball seemed to have made the tone of the story sound so happy until after Marvin’s death and when the Dodgers lost to the Giants in chapter nineteen in the middle of page 133. Everyone’s hopes were low, and it really brought the mood of the novel down to a very depressing level. Whenever baseball was mentioned throughout the novel, it would either be rejoiced because of the thrill and love of the sport, or it would be mourned because of the remembrance of the loss of a great friend.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is referenced throughout the novel; the game is a big part of life in Mayflower. Everyone gets together on game day, for example in the beginning of chapter nineteen the Dodgers vs. Giants match is referenced. The game was the topic of discussion for Ren, Marvin, and Reesa. After Marvin passed away the discussion changed to how much Marvin loved baseball. The only way Ren could grieve for Marvin was to throw a baseball against an empty wall. The game that the three friends enjoyed together became a way to remember their lost friend. Baseball was a big part of the three friend’s lives as well as everyone in the small town of Mayflower. The Author's use of Baseball throughout the book showed that the town's people, even though torn by racism, had at least one thing in common.
ReplyDeleteBaseball was a large part of this novel. For Ren, it was one of his only connections to Marvin after he was killed. For Marvin, baseball was like Heaven on Earth. On pages seventy to seventy-one, Reesa wasn't able to understand the whole deal about baseball. Marvin explained that the pitcher was like God, The Son behind home plate, The Holy Ghost as a shortstop, and all of the outfielders as His angels. Marvin states that, "In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." (page 71). Baseball was Marvin's escape to his own world, where he wasn't judged based on his skin color. He also says, "That ain't like life, Roo. That's Heaven on Earth!" The reason baseball is used in this game is to show that even through the bad times, like Marvin being judged, you can still have a good time through baseball. I agree with 15sannerj's post when she says, "Life in this book is hard and stressful. Baseball was a little break from the activities of the Klan." Which it definitely was. When Jackie Robinson was on the field, many of the men of Mayflower still supported Robinson, even though he was black. Baseball was a breakout from racism, even if it only lasted for a little while.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is a large part of the novel for many reasons. Marvin used the game to create a friendship with Ren that no one else had with him. They were obsessed with playing the game, watching and listening about it, and reading about it. When Marvin died, Ren used baseball to grieve for his lost friend. It says in Ch. 10 that Ren kept playing baseball on his own and even turned down a chance to listen to the first game of the season. The game was used by Marvin to describe what “heaven on earth” looks like because of the fact that African Americans were considered to be equal men as whites on the field (Pgs. 70-71). Finally, baseball is used to bring the community together to forget the events going on around them. When the Dodgers did well, the town’s spirits seemed to rise. When the Dodgers lost the pennant game to the Giants, they whole town was sobbing out of loss. Baseball had the power to move the spirits of a town under siege, which further proves why it was such a large part of the novel.
ReplyDeleteBaseball was very much talked about in this novel. I knew that baseball was a big sport at that time, but I still could not fully comprehend why Susan Carol McCarthy included it in the story. Now that I think of it, I believe that it is used to enhance the theme and tone of "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands", as well as the plot. As Marvin told Reesa, baseball is "a bit of Heaven on Earth"( page 7 of 9 in chapter 10). When Marvin was explaining to Reesa why baseball was so important, he included a statement that made me truly understand Susan Carol McCarthy's thinking. On page 8 of 9 in chapter 10, Marvin says, “But here's the best part Roo: Once you get in, you jus' as good as everybody else. In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." If I am correct, this statement describes the whole story in a few sentences. However, I also agree with 15sannerj when she said, “This perspective makes the sport seem like a safe refuge to think about during the times of the Klan.” When the Klan was out bombing places and up to no good, people would watch baseball, and admire that on the field, everyone was treated equal. This reminds me of what people believe when they think of Heaven.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBaseball plays an important role in this book. Marvin, who died in the beginning of the book, loved baseball. He even said baseball was a little piece of heaven of earth. Baseball was a way for people in Mayflower to put aside all the terror and murders, and the bad things that happen in Mayflower. Baseball was a way for the people in Mayflower, to ignore the Klan. I agree with 15gourliasp when he said in his post that baseball was used in this novel to enhance the theme and tone, as well as the plot. When watching baseball the people of Mayflower could see that there is still hope for everyone being treated equal. Baseball was almost like a break from racism. Most of the the references in the book for this blog post are already taken. My favorite one, and the one i would of used in my own, is 15sannerj's about Reesa on page 134. She compared baseball to being just like life. The dodgers loosing the game is like the stuggle between Reesa, Marvin, Luther, Armetta, Doto, Reesa's parents, and the Klan.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBaseball enhances the book's plot in tone in a few ways. Everyone views baseball differently as the mood of the book changes. When things are going badly in Mayflower, baseball seems more depressing. Before Marvin died, baseball was a very happy sport and topic. When Marvin died, baseball seemed to be a reminder of his death, and as a result, baseball as not talked about in the same happy tone that it used to be. On page 67, Reesa talks about her brother's “grief song”, which is the sound of a baseball hitting the house. She says that it is a constant reminder of Marvin's death. Baseball is now a reference to death, and Reesa starts to talk about it as a reference to death. The situation is very sad, and the way they talk about baseball reflects that.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is also considered to be the way the world should be. In baseball, a black man is given the same opportunity to be great as a white man. On page 71, Marvin talks about how in baseball, a black man can be better than a white man, and get recognition for it. In a world with so much racism, baseball seems to consider all players equal, and every one is given the same chance.
A very large part of this novel was based around baseball. Baseball was very important, especially to Ren and Marvin. Baseball was Ren’s only connection to Marvin after his death. Reesa couldn’t comprehend why baseball was such a big deal but Marvin referred to baseball as, “Heaven on Earth.” On page seventy-one it states that Marvin said, “"In Heaven, they don't count the color of your skin, or the cut of your clothes, or whether your shoes are shined or not." Also, I agree with 15humphreyg when she said, “Baseball was Marvin’s only escape from his own world, and where he wasn’t based on his skin color.” Marvin felt like he could be himself while he was playing baseball because there was no one to judge him. Baseball was a getaway from racism.
ReplyDeleteThe game of baseball enhances the tone and plot of the story by having black and white people be equal on the field. In the baseball references we see the blacks and whites together and we see a more peaceful world. I agree with so many of the other students who quoted Marvin who said that baseball is like heaven on Earth. But another quote (pg. 71) that has more power is “In Heaven, a black man can out-hit, out-run, out-field a white man and live to tell about it”. This quote sums up the racial issues and how they want equality. On page 134, Reesa is reminding the reader that things don’t always go your way. Reesa tells the story about how the Dodgers lost their game against the Giants. “God came down on the wrong side of the right. And made baseball , as Red Barber says, “just like life”.” Reality like life is not always fair.
ReplyDeleteBaseball plays a very important role in Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands. On page 68 of chapter 10, Ressa (As the narrator) first tells us that Ren really liked baseball after Marvin showed it to him. Ren likes the Brooklyn Dodgers and the entire town seemed to like it with him. Baseball kind of brought a good feeling and mood to the book. You knew nothing traumatic would happen when baseball was on. The most depressing thing that happened while listening to baseball was the Dodgers losing to the Giants in Game 7 of the NLCS (National League Championship Series). That is also one of the reasons I enjoy sports so much. It brings people together for happy moments and memories to last. Sports are something special in life and in the book. They play a very important role in both.
ReplyDeleteThe sport of baseball is mentioned throughout the book, “Lay that Trumpet in Our Hands.” I believe the main purpose for highlighting the sport of baseball throughout the book was to give Ren, Reesa’s brother, a more specialized character. In the book, baseball is a key character trait that sets Ren apart from Reesa’s other family members. It also pulls him into the story by giving him a personal attachment to Marvin, who taught him baseball in the first place. On page 69, their relationship is fully acknowledged by paragraphs 6 and 7, which detail Marvin’s mentor-like relationship to Ren “Rocket Man” McMahon when he teaches him the sport of baseball. As I have been reading the paragraphs of my fellow students, I have noticed that many of them attributed Ren and the African-American community’s close ties to baseball due to Major League Baseball’s equality between races. This idea is especially prominent in the works by Dan Wilcko, Sam Silver, and 15gormanj. I fully agree with their explanation of baseballs success among the African-American Community. Even after Marvin’s death, Ren reaffirms the strong love for baseball that Marvin instilled inside of him, on page 225, when he tells Reesa how he boldly gave Mr. Casselton the V sign Marvin taught him. This act of courage confirms that Ren is proud of who he is, despite his distinction from the majority of the white, baseball-loving population due to his association with the half African-American baseball team, the Dodgers.
ReplyDeleteThe author mentions baseball many times in the novel, but two places really stuck out to me. The first time that the author mentioned baseball was after Marvin had died and Reesa flash-backed to when Marvin told her the story comparing baseball to Heaven (p 71). This enhance's the novels plot and tone because it shows that the Lord is all around you and He will give you three chances to get in the gates of Heaven. Once you get in, however, everybody gets along no matter what color your skin is, or what religion you are. The second time that baseball stood out to me in the novel is when Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe make it onto the all-star team (p 111-112). This shows that, in baseball, the color of your skin does not matter, it's the way that you play the game. I believe that this refers to the game of life. In the novel, everyone is hoping that one day, Negroes will be treated the same as whites. Well, soon people will realize that skin color does not matter, it is the way that you treat people. Eventually, blacks will be given the chance to live life like everyone else, just like they were given the chance to play baseball. This enhances the book's plot and tone because it shows that everyone can have hope and that one day life would be like baseball.
ReplyDeleteSusan Carol McCarthy references baseball throughout the whole book. Reesa, in chapter ten, talks about how somewhere someone is grieving to music, and that everyone’s song is different. Her brother’s is the sound of a baseball hitting their back wall. It helps with his grieving of Marvin. Marvin and Ren’s relationship was built off their love for baseball and the Dodgers. Marvin explained baseball as Heaven on Earth. There was the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and god was standing on the pitcher’s mound. He felt that it was a place where race didn’t matter, just like heaven. (pages 70 and 71) In chapter nineteen when their behind the Tomasinis’ store the whole group is excited about the pennant. And many are thinking about how Marvin would have loved it. After the Dodgers lose to the Giants they’re all crushed and several of them cry. This shows that baseball takes the community’s mind off the chaos in Florida, and helps them escape the racism because when their watching baseball they are all equal.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is obviously a very popular sport in central Florida, but why did Susan McCarthy write so much about it in the book? It all starts on page 67 when Reesa talks about the mourning of her and her brother. After that page there are many more references to baseball, surprisingly after most of these references there is also a reference to Marvin. Because of this fact I have decided that the reason baseball is in the book, is to build upon Marvin's character. Before baseball was talked about, all we knew was that Marvin was nice, smart, and friendly. Now we know that he was also loving, he gave up his valuable time to teach Ren how to play baseball. He didn't stop there though, he played with Ren everyday, he taught him to love the Brooklyn Dodgers. So the answer the the question I asked at the beginning is; to help us understand the characters of Ren and Marvin.
ReplyDeleteBaseball played a huge role in the story especially to Ren and Marvin. In chapter ten you hear about Ren's grieving song when the baseball hits the wall. The whole family used to watch the games. Not just the families but the whole town would too. (As mentioned on page 70.) Marvin says Baseball was heaven on earth and that shows how big baseball was to him. He also saw baseball as equal. Whites, Blacks, Jews really anyone could play and they would be treated with respect, fairness and equality. Baseball even through the violence and racism showed the whole town did in fact have something in common.
ReplyDeleteBaseball help the characters express themselves. It gives the novel a unique quality. For example, in chapter ten, Ren uses baseball as a way to mourn. Reesa even calls it the grieving song on page sixty seven. Baseball also allows Ren to be happy for the first time since Marvin dies. He is excited and happy when his favorite team excels. It brings everyone together too. Everyone goes to Sal's to watch the game. Baseball is a main point in the book that helps characters to express themselves, gives the book an easy tone, and gives the plot a unique quality.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, baseball plays a major factor in the town of Mayflower. The events caused by the Ku Klux Klan were tragic, but baseball put a spark of happiness in all of the chaos. For example, in chapter 19, the Dodgers played the Giants for the tile of the pennant. A huge crowd of friends and family developed at Sal and Sophia’s store to watch the game. Marvin describes baseball as, “A little piece of heaven on Earth” on pages 70-71. He explains how it is heaven on earth to Ressa. For example, Marvin states, “The pitcher’s like God, standin’ highest on the mound, playin’ catch with The Son behind home plate.” Marvin was right when he explains how baseball is like life, because when the Dodgers lost the title of the pennant, it was the same time that Mayflower was going through tough times. Baseball was based on the plot of the novel whether it was a happy, joyous time, or a sad, tragic time.
ReplyDeleteIn the book when baseball is mentioned it serves as mourning for Marvin, but instead of being about the sadness of it all, it serves to remind all the happiness he brought to everyones life. Like in page 69, where I agree with 15tuttlet on Ren and Marvins mentor-like releationship. But almost as important as the mourning reason I have previously said, is the way baseball is a little piece of heaven(pg70-71), for both blacks, and whites. It shows that when playing baseball, people seem to completely forget the outside world,they seem to completely forget the KKK, racism, and everything. Its the only place where everyone is equal.
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