Exploring Further

In The Cinderella Man, James J. Braddock goes on two adventures that change him from being an imposter to living from his true identity.

At the beginning of the film, Braddock fights for glory. As an up-and-coming boxer, he grows his name and reputation enough to be considered for a chance at the heavyweight title. Most people know him for his signature right hook in the ring, and they love him for it. His success becomes a magnet he lets get too close to his heart. It keeps him from seeing the ways he can grow. A good right hook is helpful, but it means he's not a diverse fighter, able to pivot when faced with new obstacles. This magnet drives him to an imposter life defined by complacency at a time when he needs to be ready to pivot the most.

Then, the unthinkable happens. Braddock breaks his right hand. In a moment, his greatest strength suddenly becomes his greatest weakness. He tries to recover with his left hand but doesn't have the strength. This is his first call to adventure. Will he choose to change? To grow? To become someone more? Or will he reject the call and remain on his Imposter Path?

For a time, he rejects the call and tries to make life work. He looks for other jobs, but continues to fight despite his past injuries. Braddock takes on minor fights, making less money at a time when he desperately needs it (because of the Depression). He struggles to provide for his family but can't seem to pivot the way he needs to. Unfortunately, he breaks his right hand again during a minor fight. Seeing him as a washed-out mess who can't bring in any more money, the Boxing Commission revokes his license. Unable to box, the call to adventure whispers in Braddock's ear, calling him to change.

This time, he accepts the call and steps into the Wilderness, where he faces no income, an injured hand, and a pile of unpaid bills. This opposition without threatens to throw him deeper into despair as he struggles to believe he can truly provide for his family. He lands a job down at the docks despite his broken hand, and when he realizes how dire his family's situation is, Braddock receives help, borrowing enough money to keep his family together. He battles through the opposition and, with the help of those around him (his old manager, the dock keeper, and his wife), gains victory over them. He makes enough to keep his family together, put food on the table, and keep the electricity on. He returns home a different person, no longer focused on success but on providing for the people he loves. It changes his perspective.

With this change, he steps into a new adventure that shows up on his doorstep on a fine spring morning. His old manager offers Braddock an opportunity for a new fight, with the caveat that it's one-time only. Though he doesn't know it yet, this new call to adventure is a chance for Braddock to step back into boxing as a new person-one with a new perspective on WHY he is fighting. Knowing the money would help his family, Braddock gladly accepts.

No one believes he will win. Not even Braddock believes it, but something changes once he's in the ring. He's not fighting like he once did, relying on his right hand. Now, he can pivot- both hands flying so fast his competitor can't keep up. Braddock knocks the opposition out, surprising the whole boxing community! HOW? On his previous adventure, his injury forced him to use his left hand to haul loads from ships at the docks. That work forced him to grow out of his old ways. On that adventure, he became someone new, someone who could face unseen obstacles and OVERCOME them. He could now fight effectively with BOTH hands.

After the fight, Braddock returns to his job at the docks. He expects to return to everyday life in the Depression, but his manager miraculously gets him another fight. This time, his wife is unsure and opposes the idea of more boxing. She contends with her opposition within, afraid of losing what Braddock fought for: a stable income and food on the table. She doesn't want to jeopardize that, but Braddock sees this next fight as an opportunity to provide that plus some. To him, it's a chance to put his family and those around them in a better position to give them a better life. This time, he knows what he's fighting for, not success or fame, but bread and milk. With this perspective, he wins the next fight, and the next one, and the next one, until he has a shot at the heavyweight championship.

But the championship fight is against a man who's killed people in the ring. Braddock's wife opposes this opportunity and is terrified of losing her husband. Then, opposition without, his boxing opponent, tries to deter him in fear, and Braddock has to decide who he is- who he will be- the real reason he's fighting.

Braddock almost gives up the fight, but he receives help from those around him, especially his manager. This forces Braddock to look out and realize his impact on those around him. His fighting wasn't just for his family but for all those who struggled through the Great Depression like his family did. Fighting and winning would give people like him hope that they can change and life can improve. They encourage and give him what he needs to overcome the difficulty. With the perspective of WHY he's fighting and his new fighting abilities, he's confident he can step into the ring with his adversary.

On the day of the fight, Braddock's wife, the only hold out about the fight, appears. Braddock is wrestling with false beliefs, "Can I do this?" That fear threatens to get too close to his heart and drive him to a poor place before the fight. But his wife reminds him WHO HE IS and gives him the strength and reason to get in the ring and WIN.

Braddock enters the ring, firm on who he is and why he's fighting. He battles through against his opponent, the opposition without, and overcomes him, gaining the title of Heavyweight Champion. He returns a new man, not because of his success but because of how he fought and the way he lived from his true identity on behalf of those around him. It changed everything.

Like Braddock, our many adventures will mold us into the sons and men God made us to be. Each adventure lends itself to the next, restoring us one step at a time to our Garden State.

Further Discussion:

1. After reading this, what other parallels do you see between your story and Braddock's? Do you see some of the different ideas from the "Truth of the Month" video in the movie? Discuss them together.
2. What other connections do you see between the Heroic Journey and Braddock's story?

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