Topic > Seabiscuit: How an Underdog Became a Champion

The true meaning of the phrase "the American Dream" is a topic that could be debated by Americans across the country. For some, it means achieving goals they set for themselves as children or teenagers. For others, it simply means being the best version of themselves they can be at all times. But for most, the seemingly impossible task is to return from hardship to reign supreme. Whether it is a minor hardship, such as losing in a sports match, or a major one, such as being involved in a near-fatal car accident, recovering from such hardships to achieve success is seen as inspiring in America, and has been for many years. In Seabiscuit, Seabiscuit returns from being an underachieving horse and becomes one of the greatest racehorses of all time. With the help of his excellent team, which includes his owner Charles Howard, his trainer Tom Smith and his jockey John "Red" Pollard, Seabiscuit continues to embody the "American Dream" at multiple points in his life. In Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit and his team embody the idea of ​​the "American Dream" by overcoming every obstacle thrown at them and achieving immense success in the world of racing. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Seabiscuit and his team's first successful attempt to overcome a difficulty stemmed from Seabiscuit's first defeat in the 1937 Santa Anita Handicap. When Seabiscuit and Pollard first lost the West Coast's biggest race, the ridiculous publicity against Pollard spreads like wildfire. A few days after the defeat, Smith stunned reporters by uttering full sentences about the Santa Anita Handicap, saying, “Pollard deserves at least half the credit for Seabiscuit's brilliant showing in the Santa Anita Handicap. He's the only boy who knows his peculiarities, his idiosyncrasies, who knows how to get the better of him. The criticism of Pollard is unfair. He rode the horse perfectly,” reporters were still not convinced that Pollard was not at fault for the ride (Hillenbrand 132). Even after Smith's kind words, reporters and fans were still not convinced. They would attribute Seabiscuit's loss in the Santa Anita Handicap of 1937 to Pollard's mishandling of Seabiscuit forever After their surprising defeat, and after Pollard suffered a fatal accident while racing another of Howard's horses, Fair Knightess, Pollard and Seabiscuit don't really pass the judgments. fixed on them as a pair until the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. The racing was close until the final stretch, when Seabiscuit and Pollard broke away ahead of the others and crossed the finish line alone. Once the shock had passed, Seabiscuit and Pollard they headed to the winner's circle, where they would finally experience the overwhelming feeling of happiness of finally achieving the Seabiscuit team's long-term goal of winning the Santa Anita Handicap. After the heat of the race ends, Hillenbrand states, "The world collapsed on Santa Anita," which is a gross understatement, considering the condition of America during this time. Since the country was still suffering from the excessively harsh effects of the Great Depression, it needed something to believe in (Hillenbrand 323). Seabiscuit and Pollard, both considered a lost cause but who ultimately found success when put in the right situation, were the glimmer of hope needed in a world that seemed darker than ever. After losing the Santa Anita Handicap twice,.