Causes Of Les Darcy's Journey To America Essay
Darcy’s journey to America was Profitless - The ballad of Les Darcy
Les Darcy’s journey from Australia to America was far from profitless. Les did not earn any money whilst on his journey to America so in that sense it was profitless but instead, Darcy gained much more emotionally. From the point when Les left Australian shores he was confronted with many new and challenging experiences. He faced American media, and also during his journey he gained more perspective and grew stronger friendships with many people, including a lifelong friend Mick Hawkins. For Les America was a big adventure filled with challenges he endured for his family and career. Although he experienced many new and exciting things, Les on his journey was faced with sickness, unhappiness, and death.
Les’s journey to America began with his new friend Tim …show more content…
O’Sullivan, on a boat illegally bound for America. This was the first time Darcy had left Australia, his family, and his love Winnie. When the boat arrived in America, Darcy and O’Sullivan were greeted by an overwhelming amount of press; this was an experience Les would not forget. “… Each craft loaded to the gunwales with a seemingly impossible number of people shouting questions at Les, waving contracts, yelling welcome...” (pg 153) The media made an enormous fuss over Les, something he had not experienced in Australia where everyone was more down to earth and friendly. This was a key moment in Les’s journey when he realised he was no longer in the safety of his friends and family, and how large and famous he had become internationally.
Furthermore, Les’s journey to America had brought him to meet many new people, including the once famous Young Griffo.
Darcy had been compared to young Griffo previously as Griffo was also a legendary and skilful boxer. Similar to Les, Griffo journeyed to America (long before Les’s boxing career had started) to seek fame and an international career. Griffo had come to America as the Australian featherweight champion in hope to create a good life for himself and expand his career. Griffo was now a drunk, unhealthy and poor old man with no hope for a good life. The hotel Porter gives a description of Young Griffo “... very drunk, not too good dressed, terrible, rotten, black teeth and thuh hotel probably wouldn’t want the likes of him in the building…” (pg 158) Meeting Griffo in 1917 was an insight of what Les’s future could end up like, if things didn’t work out, as they didn’t for Young Griffo. Meeting the famous Young Griffo who Les had looked up to his whole life would be an experience Les would never forget and an important part of Les’s journey giving him an insight to one of his hero’s lives, and a future Les could end up
with.
Although Les experienced many new and exciting encounters, meeting his hero, and discovering new places, he also faced a lot of difficulties. Les suffered greatly, missing his family and home country. The media in Australia had connections with American papers, therefore giving Les the name of a “shirker” and “slacker” international printing headlines such as “Cold footed Les Darcy bolts from Australia to escape Home defence” (printed in New York Times). Also Les fell terribly ill on his journey in America, whilst walking to his first fight in America he fell and was taken to hospital. Les had an abscessed tooth, one of the teeth that Harold Hardwick had broken off, and very infected tonsils which were soon removed. Les spent his last days in hospital in America with his loved ones, Winnie his love, and Mick Hawkins, his true and loyal friend who had came from Australia soon after he found out that Les wasn’t going well in America and his manager had deceived him. Les fought the illness as strongly as he could “the count is seven Jack Dillon, but they’ll never count ten over me” (pg 183). But soon after being admitted to hospital Darcy’s journey was over and he died, his journey was over.
In conclusion, Darcy’s journey to America was not profitless at all; I strongly disagree with this statement. His journey did end with sadness and death but not before he encountered many new experiences. He met new people and had friendships grow stronger, and encountered things he never would have if he had stayed in Australia. Les’s journey was the journey of a lifetime. He did not get to make finances he had hoped to for his family but he did experience great things in America. It would be unfair to say that this journey was profitless.
Les Darcy’s journey from Australia to America was far from profitless. Les did not earn any money whilst on his journey to America so in that sense it was profitless but instead, Darcy gained much more emotionally. From the point when Les left Australian shores he was confronted with many new and challenging experiences. He faced American media, and also during his journey he gained more perspective and grew stronger friendships with many people, including a lifelong friend Mick Hawkins. For Les America was a big adventure filled with challenges he endured for his family and career. Although he experienced many new and exciting things, Les on his journey was faced with sickness, unhappiness, and death.
Les’s journey to America began with his new friend Tim …show more content…
O’Sullivan, on a boat illegally bound for America. This was the first time Darcy had left Australia, his family, and his love Winnie. When the boat arrived in America, Darcy and O’Sullivan were greeted by an overwhelming amount of press; this was an experience Les would not forget. “… Each craft loaded to the gunwales with a seemingly impossible number of people shouting questions at Les, waving contracts, yelling welcome...” (pg 153) The media made an enormous fuss over Les, something he had not experienced in Australia where everyone was more down to earth and friendly. This was a key moment in Les’s journey when he realised he was no longer in the safety of his friends and family, and how large and famous he had become internationally.
Furthermore, Les’s journey to America had brought him to meet many new people, including the once famous Young Griffo.
Darcy had been compared to young Griffo previously as Griffo was also a legendary and skilful boxer. Similar to Les, Griffo journeyed to America (long before Les’s boxing career had started) to seek fame and an international career. Griffo had come to America as the Australian featherweight champion in hope to create a good life for himself and expand his career. Griffo was now a drunk, unhealthy and poor old man with no hope for a good life. The hotel Porter gives a description of Young Griffo “... very drunk, not too good dressed, terrible, rotten, black teeth and thuh hotel probably wouldn’t want the likes of him in the building…” (pg 158) Meeting Griffo in 1917 was an insight of what Les’s future could end up like, if things didn’t work out, as they didn’t for Young Griffo. Meeting the famous Young Griffo who Les had looked up to his whole life would be an experience Les would never forget and an important part of Les’s journey giving him an insight to one of his hero’s lives, and a future Les could end up
with.
Although Les experienced many new and exciting encounters, meeting his hero, and discovering new places, he also faced a lot of difficulties. Les suffered greatly, missing his family and home country. The media in Australia had connections with American papers, therefore giving Les the name of a “shirker” and “slacker” international printing headlines such as “Cold footed Les Darcy bolts from Australia to escape Home defence” (printed in New York Times). Also Les fell terribly ill on his journey in America, whilst walking to his first fight in America he fell and was taken to hospital. Les had an abscessed tooth, one of the teeth that Harold Hardwick had broken off, and very infected tonsils which were soon removed. Les spent his last days in hospital in America with his loved ones, Winnie his love, and Mick Hawkins, his true and loyal friend who had came from Australia soon after he found out that Les wasn’t going well in America and his manager had deceived him. Les fought the illness as strongly as he could “the count is seven Jack Dillon, but they’ll never count ten over me” (pg 183). But soon after being admitted to hospital Darcy’s journey was over and he died, his journey was over.
In conclusion, Darcy’s journey to America was not profitless at all; I strongly disagree with this statement. His journey did end with sadness and death but not before he encountered many new experiences. He met new people and had friendships grow stronger, and encountered things he never would have if he had stayed in Australia. Les’s journey was the journey of a lifetime. He did not get to make finances he had hoped to for his family but he did experience great things in America. It would be unfair to say that this journey was profitless.