"A Wrestling Mom" Outline

Title: A Wrestling Mom

Thesis: In the article “A Wrestling Mom”, the author Mary Kay Blakely establishes a strong sense of pathos through her son’s high school wrestling experience, comes to terms with their evolving relationship as he matures, and illustrates the importance of language and interracial camaraderie.

 (Short summary of article)

I.                    Main Point: Blakely’s use of pathos

a.       Background of herself

                                                              i.      Feminist

                                                            ii.      Single mother

b.      Background/introduction of her son & their relationship

                                                              i.      Introduce the connection to wrestling

                                                            ii.      Before school-match day ritual

                                                          iii.      Shoelace

c.       At the match

                                                              i.      Her actions and thoughts as she watched him wrestle

II.                 Main Point: The evolving relationship between mother and son

a.       Noticing her son’s maturation

                                                              i.      References to when he was three years old

                                                            ii.      Noticing her son’s new physique

                                                          iii.      Admiration of his power

b.      Gender role

                                                              i.      His coaches teaching him things she could not

                                                            ii.      “Pete and Repeat”

                                                          iii.      Reference to Robert Bly

c.       Different Views

                                                              i.      His love of wrestling/her caution

1.      Hospital scare

                                                            ii.      New relationship with women because of his physique

III.               Language/interracial camaraderie

a.       Different words used

                                                              i.      “fairy”

                                                            ii.      “pain”

                                                          iii.      “feminist”

                                                          iv.      “captain”

b.      Multi-nationality of the team

                                                              i.      Recognizing the team chemistry/ how her son handles different race

                                                            ii.      Second to last paragraph on pg 268 (quote)

                                                          iii.       

Conclusion: Blakely effectively relates with her audience in her struggle to accept that her son is growing up and becoming less reliant on their relationship. Through his high school wrestling experience she sees how he has matured, because of her influence, but also the influence of others. She admires his relationship with his fellow teammates and of opponents, relating the camaraderie with the rest of the world. (end quote?)