Benny Paret

Molding the events throughout the fight in a biased way, the author describes the shame Paret felt and the valiant effort he put forth to downplay the significance of his defeat. Through the details of the fight, the author allows the audience to visualize Paret’s situation and the horror of the gruesome battle. The author uses diction to commend Paret for his bravery in facing adversity despite the punishment he has faced. Using words such as “inspired,” to describe the boxer’s reaction to showing weakness to his opponent, the author makes his failure seem less crucial. The fighter shows his resilience and strength and is willing to sacrifice his body to protect his honor and reputation. Similarly, the author aids his efforts by diminishing the importance of Paret’s loss, demonstrating a personal bias in favor of the struggling boxer. Again, the author downplays Paret’s loss through his word choice by saying that Paret “fought…as if he were seeking to demonstrate that he could take more punishment than any man alive,” as if losing were an admirable quality. Rather than stating that Paret was savagely mauled by Griffith, the author’s comments that the boxer was purposefully demonstrating his talent lessens the impact on his publicity. The author actually extols the boxer by implying that, of all fighters, none had the ability to take punches like him.
Utilizing details in his imagery, the author paints a picture of the fight in the minds of the audience to allow them to sympathize with Paret for taking part in such a gruesome fight and eventually dying. The author mentions that Griffith “hit him eighteen right hands in a row, an act which took perhaps three or four seconds,” to give readers an idea of what it is like to be in Paret’s situation. The sheer amount of punches performed in such a short span of time accentuates the brutality of Griffith and reveals the author’s contempt of the fighter’s cruelty. The image also serves as a testament to Paret’s