Bend it like a Man of Chosun - Essay Example

Bend it like a Man of Chosun Q1. What questions does the pose? The intended to establish some important questions arising out some controversies and events in Korea regarding sports. The Authors tries to find the answers of his question relating the Korean nationalism and its sport. He also questions about how the mass media used some event in sports raise the sense of capitalism in the mass people of Korea during the mania created in 1936 Sohn’s Victory in Berlin Olympics. The total of his writing related the race, fascism, colonialism and sports are inter-related in the history of Korean Capitalization.Q2. What is the author’s central argument and how well is it stated?

The main perspective on which the author argued that the racial and ethnic inferiority complexes of the Korean people from the western world can be overcome or healed with their participation in in sports like football in which they feel at the top of the world which came with the victory of Korea in Berlin Olympics, 1936. In support of his statement he stated that in the year 2002 World Cup, when Korea reached the Semifinals, their victory in the game again brought to unify the nation again and provided a great opportunity to cure the ethnic inferiority of its people.Q3. What types of evidence does the author use to support his/her argument?

The author provided the evidence of the newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, which published the photograph of Sohn with Japanese Flag and removed his Uniform of the Korean country. He proved the strength of the mass media that is newspaper in Korea in developing the sense of Nationalism. Although the victory of Sohn ended the very first stage of sport nation in Korea, its people very clearly understood the importance of sports competition in international level which brought them pride for their country.Q4.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument?The author has a strong positive viewpoint about how a sport can initiate nationalistic behavior in a country and it is very true till now a days. During the time of sport activities the people try to view the country as one and try to figure the all the positive aspects about the country while almost forgot the other factors. Author mentioned different evidence to prove his point in the document which makes it very rich in establishing the facts.

The main problem we can notice in the document that the author only emphasized on only a single factor that is sport. Sport can only initiate the nationalism in its people but it is up to the people who will continue to it or not. As in the document we can find that after 1936 there is no mention of any other incidence till 2002. A single thing can never eradicate the inferiority sense from the minds of the people and it can it will be temporary.Q5. Are you persuaded – do you agree with the author’s argument?

Why, or why not?Yes I am persuaded with the fact that sport can generate the sense of capitalism and nationalism among the people of the country. It is of course a pride for the people of being the best in anything and in an international sport it is bound to be max. Thus it is very true for the people of any country that they will find a strong point about themselves while comparing to other who are said to be better from them (kpopreader).Work Citedkpopreader,. Bend It Like A Man Of Chosun: Sports Nationalism And Colonial Modernity Of 1936.

K-Pop Essentials for Academics. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 Sep. 2014.