on a true story. In this story tells that someone can get what he wants because of there is motivation behind it and it is followed by struggles to make it real.
Being more specific, someone who has love for his wife and his three children can change him into a hard worker who never give up to get work to fulfill his
family. It is amazing that love can give power and energy for someone to survive. This is very interesting because analyzing someone’s struggles and
motivation for survival against poverty can be very touching. The reader is inspired by the great story life from this novel.
B. Problem Formulation
There are two main problems formulated in this literature study: 1. How is James J. Braddock characterized in Marc Cerasini’s Cinderella
Man? 2. What are James’ motivations for survival as seen in his struggles against
poverty?
C. Objectives of the Study
Related to the problem formulations above, this study has two objectives. The first objective is to identify the characterizations of James J.
Braddock in Marc Cerasini’s Cinderella Man. The second objective is to explain James’ motivations for survival as seen in his struggles against
poverty.
D. Definition of Term
The term that is used for analyzing this study is motivation. In order to avoid the misunderstanding, here is the meaning of term below:
1. Motivation
According to Gerring and Zimbardo in Psychology and life 2002: 364, they define motivation as a process of starting, directing and maintaining
physical and psychological activities toward a certain goal. Furthermore, Smith, Irwin, and Barbara 1997: 282 stated that motivation is an internal
process that gives an influence the direction, persistence, and vigor of goal directed behavior.
7
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter consists of three parts; they are review of related studies, review of related theories, and theoretical framework. The review of related
studies concerns with the information, comments, or criticisms related to Marc Cerasini’s Cinderella Man. The review of related theories presents the
theories that are related to the study. And the theoretical framework explains the contribution of the theories that are used in this literature study.
A. Review of Related Studies
Marc Cerasini’s Cinderella Man is adapted from the movie with the same title. The story of Cinderella Man is based on the true story of James J.
Braddock as the main character, so it is a non-fiction novel. This story is about a boxer named James J. Braddock, he has Joe Gould as his manager. They try
to pass the Great Depression time and unbelievably Braddock becomes the heavyweight champion. Braddock won the heavyweight champion from Max
Baer. Max Baer is a famous boxer and a champion from 1934 to 1935. As written in Guido Fritschi’s criticism entitled Cinderella Man, he stated,
The narrator is omniscient and tells us a lot about the lives of these two different characters and the problems they have to face. The novel is
subdivided into 17 chapters and it occurs that from one chapter to the other the action switches from Braddock to Baer or vice versa. Finally,
in the final chapter, these two different stories merge when they have to fight against each other for the heavyweight championship.
http:www.gymmuenchenstein.chstalderhappy_readingguido_critic ism.htm
According to Fritschi’s, the narrator puts two story lines together in one novel gives it a deeper sense. Both Braddock and Baer started their
careers in similar way. James J. Braddock came from a poor family; he began his fighting for a small salary to become a famous heavyweight boxer, he fell
in the Great Depression time and lost not only his money but also his reputation as a boxer. In the same time, Great Depression did not affect Max
Baer in his financial condition or his career. Here Fritschi finds two different points of views. For him, the change of the story line from one chapter to
another gives an impression of the contrast between the two different world of James J. Braddock and Max Baer. And what he wants to say is that this novel
is not just about sport, more than that it has a deeper meaning and that is exactly why it kept the readers interested page by page.
Another statement comes from Steve Frecke who lived at Greensboro, North Carolina United States. Frecke posted his statement in James J.
Braddock’s personal website, entitled Guestbook of James J. Braddock. He wrote that he truly agreed with the action of James J. Braddock toward the
Great Depression and what he supposed to do. He said, What an amazing display of courage, tenacity and determination.
There are a lot of people struggling because of the economic downturn and it just goes to show that with integrity and belief in yourself
ANYTHING can happen. The strength of character HE had was an inspiration www.jamesjbraddock.comguestbook
Indeed, the character of James J. Braddock inspires us. This is not only story written by author, but it was based on true story. And the life story of
James J. Braddock inspired the readers to believe in themselves and gave
strength to struggle from the problem. For those who are inspired by James J. Braddock and do it in their own life, actually they have their integrity just like
him more or less. The life of James J. Braddock was the right example in order to increase our conscious thought to face all difficulties in our life.
Here is another statement in James J. Braddock’s personal’s website, entitled Guestbook of James J. Braddock, from Robert Gamble at Venice,
Florida, United States. He said, To whom it may concern,
I have watched Cinderella Man three or four times. What a great movie. I feel as if I know Mr. Braddock’s life, what a man, what a
man. That is what this country missing REAL MEN Not because he was a great boxer but, a great family man. After all that is what makes
GREAT MEN Love of God, Family and Country. Mr. Braddock all I can say and it is a little late “JOB WELL DONE, WELL DONE”
www.jamesjbraddock.comguestbook
It showed that James J. Braddock was a great man had ever lived in this world. He did love his family and country. He just an ordinary man, but he
changed his own fate and became an extraordinary man. His life could inspire people by his behavior and action. This can be shown from the book
Personality Theories, Maslow proposed that human desires i.e. motives are innate and that they are arranged in an ascending hierarchy of priority or
potency Ziegler, Hjelle, 1981: 368, James J. Braddock used his motivations as a power to do many things, and it became his priority to make his family
and country where he lived proud of him.
