Baudelair's, Lets Beat Up The Poor! Vs. Fight Club and Cinderella Man

            When reading Let's Beat Up The Poor, two great movies came to mind. The first is in the movie "Fight Club" when Tyler Durden threatens to kill the convenience store clerk if he does not finish college and become a veterinarian. The second movie that came to mind was "Cinderella Man" and James Braddock's struggles during the depression.

            For those of you who have not read Let's Beat Up The Poor, or need to refresh yourself with the story because you read it a while ago, it is about this guy, who I assume is rich or of the middle class, is approached by a old beggar who wishes for some money. A little voice in his head tells him that the old beggar is, "equal to another, if he proves it, and is worthy of freedom, if he can conquer it." He then descriptively pummels the old beggar but the old beggar turns the fight around and beats up the man who started the fight and restored the old beggar's pride and life. He then tells the old beggar that they are equals and gives the old beggar advice, which the beggar will eventually take.

            The scene with "Fight Club" is not exactly the same because the convenience store clerk, Raymond, does not get beat up he only is threatened. When Tyler has the gun to the back of the clerk's head, he threatens to kill the clerk unless he goes back to school and becomes a veterinarian. The old beggar and Raymond most likely felt as if they were going to die in their situations. Even though Raymond did not beat up Tyler, he mostly likely took Tyler's advice, just as the old beggar did, and became a better person just like the old beggar. Traumatize a little but a better person.

Fight Club scene (because youtube only had a similar clip but in a different language).

            Another part from "Fight Club" that is similar to why the rich or middle class person beat up the old beggar could be related to an assignment that required the members of "Fight Club" to start a fight with a complete stranger and lose. Tyler's goal is to bring down the rich on to equal terms with poor and to help the poor feel better about themselves. The fights that the members start are not as intense as the fight in Let's Beat Up The Poor, but they are pretty much the same. The guy that starts the fight gets beat up in the end. In both "fFight Club" and Let's Beat Up The Poor, the stranger ends up feeling better about themselves than before the fight had occurred.

            "Cinderella Man" is a true story based on the life of James J. Braddock, a boxer of the 1920 and 1930s. In the movie Braddock appears to be purposely taking a beating in the first few rounds of his fights. Even with his right hand broken, he is able to finish a fight with his hammering right hand but does not do so at the start of the fight just as he did before the depression hit. I was reminded of this when the old beggar was getting beaten with the, "obstinate energy of cooks trying to tenderize a beefsteak." When recalling back to the movie, "Cinderella Man," I saw how in the fight against the infamous Max Baer, Braddock just received a heavy blow to the head and was on the ropes and had a flash back of the man Baer had recently killed in the right. The situation was identical expect that it was Braddock about to face his demise. I got the feeling that Braddock realized that this could be his last fight. He was fighting for his family and if he died in that ring, there would be no one left to fight for them. Realizing that he might die and leave his family to fend for themselves he miraculously obtains the will to continue the fight and defeat Baer. Perhaps the old beggar had a similar realization as well. The fight between Braddock and Baer made me wonder maybe the old beggar realized he was about to die but had a strong will to continue living giving him the ability to turn the fight to his favor.