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Tough Break: Response

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Tough Break: Response
Tough Break: Response

“Tough Break” is written by Tim Rogers (Motives for Writing, Pg148). The essay discusses the differences between the men and women participating in the sport of professional billiards and one woman’s quest for a championship title. Rogers touches on gender issues and stereotypes related to gender in the essay. He makes that clear by discussing the differences in behavior exhibited by male and female participants in the sport. He points out how the two genders are perceived by fans of the industry as well as the significant difference in the way the athletes view the sport. The females are more sportsmen like and accommodating as they see that the sport is “for fun.” The men on the other hand, are more aggressive and mean-spirited toward one another as they see the sport as one in which they must compete for dominance and prove their superior abilities. The essay enlightened me a little on the sport of billiards and supplied me with some information on the issues faced by women in the sport. I knew very little about the industry and found it interesting to read on issues related to a topic that I was nearly oblivious to. I was intrigued solely on the purpose of learning something new. I’m unsure of Rogers’ position on the information he presents in this essay. Rogers speaks of Vivian’s exceptional ability in the sport but then he explains that Vivian’s father taught her how to play, as well as how to execute the competitive walk. I believe, for the most part, that Rogers is supportive of women in the industry. However, there are a few circumstances in which he seems to allude to a different opinion. Whether or not that is his intention, I felt a little misled. Rogers wrote the essay chronologically, and in some instances, he pauses to provide background information and facts essential to the reader. The essay could be considered as slightly informative. The essay does provide some information on the history of professional

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