English Literature Questions

  1. At the beginning of the fight, Muhamad Ali attacked George Foreman with a “right-hand lead” which was a sassy punch that was thrown to surprise Foreman and give Ali the psychological advantage. Ali uses this technique in the first round and lands nine punches against Forman. Ali then began to lean on the ropes and cover up allowing Forman to hit him on the arms and body. This drained Foreman’s energy without immensely hurting Ali. Ali used this tactic to infuriate and tire Forman.
    Norman Mailer says that if Ali-Forman fight was fixed like The Night Watch because he believed that Forman was the current heavyweight champion who had won eight games in a row in his first two rounds. On the other hand, Ali has struggled with his wins based on his age. The fight gave Ali a chance to show the world his fighting spirit was not lost and for Forman to cement his invincibility by defeating the greatest. Mailer asserts that the fight was fixed like the Portrait of the Artist as a Young man as it was all about ego. Ali regarded himself as the best boxer while Forman knew he had the best punches that would knock out Ali.
    3. A reason why Mailer was so desperate for Ali to win was based on the fact that he has seen Forman training and concluded that Forman’s punches were one of the heaviest and could smash an athlete’s ribs. He worried that if Ali lost this fight, it would end his boxing career.
    4. When Lupita meets Joy Harjo meets at the Indian school in Santa Fe, says she is from the planet Venus because is still able to find passion in music, art, and poetry even after going through a difficult childhood. Joy Harjo details her journey of becoming a poet going through the complexities of love and betrayal. She is able to keep her dreams of being a poet and musician alive through adversities she faces in her life.
    5. The possible causes of Joy Harjo’s panic attacks were her struggles with alcohol and self- abuse. The challenges of failed marriages and single motherhood also caused her panic attacks.