Ira Shor gives his critical insight in this article by explaining the film's demonstration of the rise of a working-class hero by gaining dignity and recognition. Rocky is a a dim-witted but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the grimy streets of Philadelphia. He is given the chance to fight in a huge boxing match where he ultimately gains recognition and respect. Shor discusses how Rocky demonstrates every man's will to rise to the top; from rags-to-riches. Shor states that, "Rocky has no choice but to either rise above his class or sink below it. He’s offered no chance to rise with his class, and can't fit into the respectable routines familiar to the working world." Since Rocky has been living with a dead-end job that deals with crime, he will never be able to fit in with the higher class; he can only rise above his own class by proving himself in the fight. This is where the viewers experience an "opportunity" for a lower working-class man. Shor explains that "Rocky emerges as a working-class hero who answers the sudden call of the American Dream, going from disgrace to dignity in a magical moment. His bruised but handsome face mirrors the two faces of the American Dream." Rocky needed fight with others, and himself as well in order to succeed. Ira Shor outlines the film's idea that working class people must fight in order to overcome depravity.
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