Becoming Muhammad Ali

Cassius learns card tricks from his grandfather, who is a huge role model in his life both before and after his death. The card tricks symbolize the way that Cassius uses misdirection in the ring to defeat his opponents and the way that he learns to read people. The card trick in which Cassius pulls a king of hearts bookends the novel, appearing first in Round 3 when Granddaddy Herman performs it and then in Round 9 when Cassius does it at his going-away party before departing for Chicago for the Golden Gloves. When Cassius completes his card trick at the end of the novel, his friends are stunned, wondering how he did it.

Cassius disputes the theories his friends offer for the card trick, explaining, “It’s misdirection. / I get you to commit / to believing / in me / before I even show you / the card trick. / Your expectations / and my reality / all mixed together. / I knew your card / before you knew it” (287). This trick of misdirection speaks to how Cassius charms his audiences and how he lulls his opponents into a false sense of security. He can read them, just as he can tell what someone’s card is before they do.