Hero on First Base

The Hero on First Base

Hero is a word often associated with sports, but heroism does not only refer to accomplishments on the field. “42” follows the story of two brave men, the great Jackie Robison and Branch Rickey, the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers’ General Manager. (“42-Jackie”) Together Robison and Rickey set out to break the race barrier to unify baseball and allow everyone the right to play. Robison is a true hero as he bravely steps onto the firing line every time he picks up his bat. Robison is a role model as he courageously braves the harsh comments from the press, teammates, opposing teams, and the crowd. Any other person would fight fire with fire but not Robison. Robison uses his skills on the field and his integrity to silence enemies and win the heart of a nation. Robison is a true a hero, a hero who guarded first base.

Artifacts are another form of nonverbal commination that can be defined as: A personal object that one uses to announce one’s identity, heritage, and to personalize one’s environment. (Wood 129) Artifacts can be a variety of items, such as clothing, accessories (jewelry, makeup, purses, etc…), tattoos, piercings, and even the décor of a home. All artifacts, whether, consciously or subconsciously, reveal a little bit about a person’s identity, social position, and occupation.  For instance, a person who is dressed in well-tailored outfits and dress shoes is perceived to be upper class, whereas a person dressed in a grungy t-shirt, worn-out jeans, and work boots is often perceived as lower working class. Professionals, such as doctors and athletes, use artifacts to identify themselves and to set themselves apart. Doctors use white coats, badges, and stethoscopes to distinguish themselves as doctors; athletes, on the other hand, use uniforms to signify they are a unified team and oftentimes identify which sport they play. The décor of a house can also reveal a lot about what one values as being important; houses tend to reflect personal interests, whereas artifacts tend to reflect one’s identity.

Jackie walks through the locker room of his new team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie looks around the locker room, taking in every little detail and shaking the hands of a few of his new teammates.  The locker room manger, not being prepared for Jackie, leads him back to a uniform hanging on the wall. Jackie looks in admiration at the uniform; he slowly turns the uniform over to reveal his number, 42. (“42”)

In sports, the uniform is the main artifact that a team uses to identify themselves. The uniform is the iconic symbol of the team. Fans dress in team colors and imitation uniforms to show their connection with their favorite team. Uniforms of famous players are hung in museums to forever remember the player who adorned that uniform. Jackie has finally earned the right to be in the Dodger’s locker room; he proved himself in Montreal, and now he is standing in the locker room about to put on an authentic Dodgers’ uniform. As Jackie sees his uniform hanging up, he realizes he is about to change history; Jackie is about to be the first Negro baseball player to play in the major leagues. Jackie’s uniform is the artifact that he uses to set himself apart from and to identify himself with the Brooklyn Dodgers.