1. Early on in the film, Branch Rickey (owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers) has a conversation with Jackie Robinson about playing baseball in the Dodgers’ organization. Mr. Rickey asks Jackie Robinson if he has the “guts” not to fight back. What does he mean by this? Why does he asks Jackie Robinson to do this?
Branch Rickey is asking Jackie Robinson if he has the courage and self-control not to fight back against the racist abuse and discrimination he will inevitably face as the first African American player in Major League Baseball. Rickey asks this because he knows that Robinson will face intense scrutiny and backlash, and he believes that if Robinson can withstand it without retaliating, he will be able to help break the color barrier in baseball. Rickey wants to see if Robinson has the strength and resilience to handle the challenges that lay ahead, both on and off the field.
