"Of Boxing" is an attempt to Joyce Carol Oates on this sport so brutal and so masculine quenfant she loved to follow his father. Most of the readers know lauteure for his novel about Marilyn Monroe, "Blonde" and because his name is regularly mentioned for the Nobel Literature. Published in the US in 1987, this essay attempts to identify Letrange enthusiasm aroused boxing, between fanaticism and controversy. Maligned, denigrated, overhyped, a boxing even watched on TV, do not leave indifferent. Is it because lon knows all within us that this is not because lon looks away that violence will disappear from this world? asks Joyce Carol Oates. Because this is above all that it comes much violence. What is ritualized, framed, it is always the risk of death. Lauteure reminds dailleurs some outstanding fights for their tragic ends, the Lupe Pintor / Johnny Owen in 1982, and that of Ray Mancini / Kim Duk Koom the same year for example. A boxer should he want to kill to win? Joyce Carol Oates met in the 80 one that wasnt even then quun young full davenir champion Mike Tyson. He explained wish push the nose of his opponent in his brain fought Loving WHEN IT boxing, would encourage a gladiator spot? This passion she picks a voyeuristic impulse, which would excite our own aggression, constrained by society? In this sense, lauteure analysis, boxing could almost be compared to pornography, which followed an equally impressive growth in America. She writes: "the human Detrés show lun struggling against the other, regardless of the reason quen, including some well-publicized times for sums dargents amazing, is exceedingly disturbing, as it violates one of the taboos of our civilization. Many men and women, even sils were armored against it, can not watch a boxing match because they can sautoriser to see what they are watching () In this regard boxing as public spectacle is near pornography: in both cases, it is made of a distanced viewer voyeur, but surely intimately involved in an event that is not supposed to take place as it unfolds. " To this course boxing na loan (a priori) no staging and rigging. She even linstantanéité. We would be tempted to think boxing as the catharsis of violence, which would ritualisation at the picture of the ancient sacrifices on the altar, to domesticate lagressivité from the crowd by focusing on a scapegoat. Joyce Carol Oates, this comparison is also not valid in its entirety. Sociology studies would lean even to think that the days of large high profile boxing matches the number of aggression would tend to increase by 10% in the USA! But no mistake, boxing is not so far the most dangerous sport. It happens largely behind sports like mountaineering, horseback riding, motor racing and American football. But it shocks greater in that the violence unleashed what is not channeled through the pursuit of a ball or puck dun! Not lenjeu is clearly to harm to another. The real battle is one that dailleurs sachève by a knockout, a technical knockout non when referee is obliged darrêter the game. Similarly, if the knockout comes too early in the match will be considered frustrating. The practice of paris is also unique to the sport that it is part of history (with the horse races as well). In fact, it is a medium through which transits lot of money, and thanks to what many men from the working classes could thrive. At one already present schism between popular boxers and boxers wealthier, sajoute one very long difficult between white and black boxers boxers. The story of Mohamed Ali / Cassius Clay is quite emblematic of the obstacle course of the black athlete in the United States in the 70 Beyond his feats in the ring, he embodies the fight against discrimination in the USA. His title of world champion in boxing, repeatedly conquered, in fact a major figure of the sport and endurance. But he was just as much media attention for his involvement in the Islamic religion, his surname change (many sports newspapers are not always respected, so that he was Of Use boxers have another boxer's name), but also and especially for its BE refusal mobilized during the Vietnam War, announced by a shock sentence that would mark his day: "I havent any problem with the Viet Cong," and the exemplary punishment that would follow (10,000 dollars damende 5 years prison that he will not and suspension for 7 years of his boxing license, which sajoutant to the suspension of his passport forbade him to fight in other countries). But he was also noted for his return to the ring at 35 years. Victories, historical battles, but also major failures, shots, a lot, and health was deteriorating faster than the years there spent. It is difficult for an athlete to know retire at the right time and go on a success (to the exception of boxer Rocky Marciano who knew no failure before retirement). Joyce Carol Oates makes a dhorizon exciting ride this extreme sport, practice is exceeded, which knew so well how to peg history dune society. Beyond the violence, this is the history of the staging of violence, its crystallization in the ring that is sure to interest us.
Emma Breton
To go further on the subject: our criticism of "Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta
