Jack Johnson: Fisticuffer

290 Words2 Pages
Hemphill-Chapple 1 English 5383 Prof. Quraysh Lansana Temple Hemphill-Chapple September 13, 2013 Jack Johnson: Fisticuffer In his “Fisticuffs,” Adrian Matejka introduces readers to Jack Johnson’s professional and romantic evolutions. Johnson experienced life-altering events that shaped both areas. For example, being born into poverty introduced him to fighting, which became a means of survival. Additionally, being left by Clara, led him to romantically pursue non-colored women. As a result of these experiences, Johnson was averse to enduring a knock out in boxing or in romance. Early in his life, Johnson deciphered the difference between fighting for survival verses boxing for accolades. In his “Hurt Business” Matejka describes how Johnson learned to fight dirty: “punches to the manhood, stomped/ toes when cornered, eye gouges/ to get out of a headlock.” (28-30) Determinedly, Johnson’s desire to become a heavyweight champion increased and was substantiated by his strong work ethics. His desires and training grew in parallelism and is evidenced in “Shadow Boxing”: “I’m sparring with you/ while other fighters/ are out two-stepping.” (16-18) By the time readers reach Matejka’s “Fisticuffs,” there is more clarity and texture expressed in: “Some reporters say I fight yellow, / but I don’t need to use the dirty tricks.” (1-2) Hemphill-Chapple 2 Betrayal shaped Johnson’s love ethic. “Fisticuffs” showcases this sentiment: “I never had/ a colored girl that didn’t two-time me.” (19-20) As a result, he preferred to be adorned by white women. “The Shadow Knows” draws a vivid portrait of Johnson’s desires, which include: “White women in our architecture.” (15) In closing, Matejka’s “Fisticuffs” is a culmination of Johnson’s professional and romantic choices; and, the poem sets the stage for act two of Jack Johnson’s
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