Do Actions Speak Louder or Words? – A Literary Analysis
The passage, taken from Norman Mailer’s The Presidential Papers, tells the story of the events leading up to a major boxing match and the events that occur in it. The fight is between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret with the latter being killed by the former. Apart from the two, the protagonist (a member of the audience who narrates most of the story) is the only other key character. Some major themes in the passage are: exploring anger as an entity, the English idiomatic expression about “sticks and stones” and the ripple effect of an action which shall all be discussed in the following paper.
The tone of the passage does not remain constant throughout the passage. It goes through three different stages as you progress through the story. The tone of the first paragraph is one of an impartial observer as they detail both sides of the war between the camps of the boxers. The tone is similar to that of a news broadcast. Speech and actions are reported. Such as, “‘I hate that kind of guy’ Paret has said earlier” (2) and “So Griffith hit her. So he said” (5). The use of “has said earlier” creates a reporting tone, as does the use of “so he said” in the second quote. However, at the start of paragraph two, a narrator is introduced, “I was at the fight” (9), so the tone shifts to that of a real-time narration which reflects the intensity of the fight. This intensity is reflected by choice of diction by Mailer, using words such as “extreme” (9), “knocked… down” (18) and “came alive” (19). These words imply a lot of action is occurring in the scene. Tithe tone changes again to one of awe and horror. This is reflected by the choice of words such as “psychic range” (39), “one felt it” (39) and “death reached out” (39). The variance of tone engages the reader throughout, making them empathize with the characters.
One major element of the plot is left ambiguous yet it remains a constant presence throughout the passage. This is to do with the information that the gossip columnists wrote about in their “item” (4). The dislike and animosity between Paret and Griffith is clear. However an “item” is a type of journalistic piece that tends to blow things out of proportion and is usually the product of gossip rather than fact. Paret is quoted as saying, “I hate that kind of guy” (2) in regards to Griffith. But what “kind of guy” does Paret mean? A similarly ambiguous remark is quoted of Griffith’s girlfriend, “Emile, I didn’t know about you being that way” (5). Again, what “way” is Griffith? It can be inferred that Griffith is a man of an effeminate nature of some sort. This speculation is supported by Paret believing that Griffith should “act like a man” (3) more and also makes “remarks about his manhood” (7). However, this information is not entirely reliable and must be taken with a grain of salt as the narrator in the first paragraph is an unreliable narrator. The information source is from “Broadway gossip columnists” (4) who often report rumors and half-truths. Perhaps, this could be the reason behind the strong indignation Griffith feels during the match as either inaccurate information is being spread about him or his secrets are being mocked.
This indignation is outwardly shown through the rage with which he fights. Throughout the passage, rage is shown as a powerful entity. Firstly, “The rage in Emil Griffith was extreme” (9). In this short sentence rage is described as being extreme. This hints at a lack of control and foreshadows the future events when he goes “off on an orgy” (35). Griffith allows the rage to consume him, making him “uncontrollable” (34). As an old English idiomatic expression goes, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. The reverse of this is shown through Griffith as the nasty “words” of Paret, the gossipers and his own girlfriend affected him so badly that he lost himself in the fight. It can be noted that the “sticks and stones” or rather punches do not seem to phase him, “Griffith had trouble getting up, but made it, came alive” (19). However, in Paret’s case the “sticks and stones” take a toll on him and he “died on his feet” (38).
The actual scene describing the fight is written in a very interesting manner. Flowery imagery is used to describe Paret during the eighth round, “Then Paret began to wilt” (20). This represents the energy and life slowly draining out of him as is seen in a wilting flower. A flower is described as wilting when it is dying which again foreshadows his death.
Towards the middle of the fourth paragraph, cat and mouse/ rat imagery is used. Griffith is described as “like a cat” (26) and Paret as a “huge boxed rat” (27). This image clearly conveys that Griffith has the power in the situation and Paret is slowly running out of options as he is “boxed” (27) in. A simile is used to describe Griffith’s punch, “[his] right hand whipping like a piston” (29). This gives the reader an impression of Griffith’s strength as the word “piston” brings connotations of power and efficiency to the reader’s mind. Anaphora is used towards the end of the fourth paragraph, “his trainer leaped into the ring, his manager, his cut man” (34). This is to show that many people were needed to restrain him. The importance of repeating “his” is to show that not only did the opposing side want him to stop but even his own camp members thought he was crossing the line.
Paret’s death comes as a shock to the audience as it was expected that the fight would end with a winner and a loser, not with a fatality. Mailer uses a rhetorical question, “and Paret?” (38) to build tension and suspense about his fate. He then uses a short sentence, “Paret died on his feet” to quickly deliver the blow and shock the readers. This short, shocking delivery mirrors the punches in the boxing match. The fact that he died on his feet shows him to be the true hero of the passage as he persists and doesn’t give up even at his end, just like a hero would.
Mailer writes a compelling tale with a strong message: to not let rage consume oneself. The narrative is in first-person perspective so the reader can insert themselves into the passage and feel the emotions in a more vivid way. The story begs the question, why do we feel the need to belittle others?
The answer, at least according to the story is, to feel better about ourselves. This raises questions about the procedures and traditions involved in the pre-fight period of the sport of boxing. The sport could still do without the heckling and trash talking but it is us as an audience who desire to see it. Overall, the passage makes for a compelling and informative read.