Psychosocial Assessment

his story of survival, love, and redemption features a teenager who is a real life football star named  Michael Oher . The story finds Oher as a homeless teenager living on the outskirts of society. He goes to school sometimes, but whenever his teachers encounter his difficulty reading, he tends to leave the school and so he is chronically undereducated. He does love sports however, and one day, the coach of his school asks him to play.

Leigh Tuohy and her family discover him and his kind-hearted nature and the Tuohy family adopts him. Now Oher has a mother and a father and two siblings, both younger, who automatically love him and look up to him. As he accepts their invitation to family, he grows both socially and emotionally, gradually recovering from the chronic mental fatigue of his lonely and difficult childhood. As he finishes high school, his community gathers around him to support him in his education.

Eventually, he is accepted to a college and becomes an influential player in football. The novel's title,  The Blind Side  is a reference to a positional strategic idea in football. Ideally the defensive line would like to sack the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, but Michael Oher's performance as a lineman focused primarily on guarding that blind spot for the quarterback so that the play is longer and he has more time to throw the ball. That influence is tracked through Oher's drafting into the NFL, a fate which brought him from rags to riches.

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say Questions

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Written by jelo singson

1. 1

What is the significance of the novel’s title?

The title of the novel is a reference to the vulnerable side of a quarterback right before he throws the football. The blindside is defined as phenomenon in the game of football where the quarterback’s field of vision is momentarily obscured right when he is about to throw the ball because he temporarily faces the opposite direction, e.g. a right-handed quarterback would temporarily be unable to see opponents approaching from his left flank. This phenomenon makes him very vulnerable and represents a major turning point in how the players and coaches approached the game of football.

2. 2

How is the theme of racism discussed in the novel?

The theme of racism is mostly discussed through the life of both Michael Oher and the Tuohy family. Both experience some form of racism in one form or another, the Tuohy’s for example are accused of taking in Michael out of a sense of white guilt or worse, out of a sense of white supremacy. Michael, being the only black kid in a primarily white, very exclusive private school, is initially treated like a zoo exhibit. The most unfair, unkind, and most discriminatory accusations come from long-time friends of the Tuohys who also happen to be members of their church congregation. In tackling the theme of racial discrimination, the theme of religious hypocrisy is also briefly touched upon.

3. 3

What does the blindside symbolize?

The blind side represents two ideas. One is the primary change in the way the sport of American football was played after a pro athlete sustained an injury that ended his playing career. It also symbolizes the opportunity that it opened up for improbable players--in this case Michael Oher--who would have been playing in a position that wouldn’t make use of his unique talents.

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· STUDY GUIDE NAVIGATION

· About The Blind Side

· The Blind Side Summary

· Character List

· Glossary

· Themes

· Quotes

· Analysis

· Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

· Metaphors and Similes

The Blind Side Analysis

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Written by people who wish to remain anonymous

The Blind Side  by Michael Lewis is grounded in the story of a traumatized and homeless boy called Michael Oher. Michael’s mother is addicted to drugs and he doesn’t know his biological father. He hops from one foster home to another until he lands in the hands of Big Tony who takes him to Briarcrest, a Christian Evangelical school. Due to his abilities in athletics, school coaches are interested in him. This makes the institution to recruit him. At Briarcrest, Michael impresses Leigh Anne, a rich parent whose kids also attend Briarcrest. Anne adopts Michael and takes him to live with her. Gradually, Michael gets used to the school setting and makes friends. Anne hires a teacher for Oher to make sure he attains the grades that are required to play sports. Anne loves Michael so much and gives him every opportunity to succeed.

Due to his abilities on the pitch, Oher gets various scholarship offers from different colleges. However, he chooses to attend the University of Mississippi where his foster parents are alma mater. As a result, complains are lodged against his decision to join the University of Mississippi. The complainers argued that his foster bribed him with gifts to convince him to join the University of Mississippi. Nevertheless, he is finally cleared to play for the college. His foster parents are tasked to make sure he attains required grades for sportsmen. Michael’s sports achievements earn him medals and honors.

Michael gets in a tussle with a teammate who makes unpleasant remarks towards his foster parents. Eventually, he learns that he has injured a young kid during the confrontations. This makes him flee. His foster parents trace him where they lure him to come back. Ultimately, the situation is resolved without attracting much attention. He continues playing for the college where he earned many awards and accolades. Through this book, the author is trying to emphasize the need to help less fortunate in society. Besides, the author highlights the need to believe in one’s abilities.

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