Strong Man by Meghan McCarthy

This is a biography of Charles Atlas who on the World’s Most Beautiful Man Contest and was crowned the World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man. I chose this piece of literature because he was not always proud of whom he was. He was picked on, bullied, and even beaten up because he was so small. Many students in my class can relate to his feelings and how he wanted to become a different, stronger person. He needed to work hard towards his goals and he couldn’t afford the weights like he saw on T.V. So he created his own routine and weights by using things he had in his house. This brings up the issue of physical activity and social class. What if some people can’t afford a membership to centers like the YMCA? What if some people live in an area where there is not a place for physical activity? What if some people have to work to help out the family? This brings up some questions for students to really think about. But it doesn’t just relate to physical activity but also eating right. If students or families can’t afford organic food or expensive whole wheat bread, what happens? This piece of literature brings the aspect of social class and how Charles Atlas pulled himself up by his own bootstraps and was able to fulfill his dreams with hard work.