Shooting Dad and Arm Wrestling free essay sample

From being only a physical communication to total opposites until adulthood, it is talked about. Manning and Vowell both effectively communicate the point of their story to us even though their stories are opposites of each other. Brad Manning’s story about his father is set up as a narrative to explain the relationship between each other. This is an effective way for Manning to get his point across. Manning gives a lot of descriptions of their physical relationship growing up and how he always looked up to his father for being big and strong. Manning use to love losing to his father in arm wrestling matches but as he got older and stronger and his father got weaker, he realized he had a lot more power now. â€Å"I might have preferred him to be always the stronger, the one who carries me. But this is impossible now; our roles have begun to switch. We will write a custom essay sample on Shooting Dad and Arm Wrestling or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Manning realizes that even though they only ever had a physical communication and love, they actually had emotional as well. If Manning did not include the descriptions for his father and him in an arm wrestling match, then we would not know to what extent that Manning looked up to his father, and if we did not know how much he looked up to his father we would not be able to see a change in Manning’s future, and if we did not see a change In Manning’s future this narrative would not have made sense and would be a waste. Manning effectively uses a narration with lots of description to show the depth of his relationship with his father. Brad Manning’s Arm Wrestling with my Father has a cheerful tone to it. Growing up Manning always enjoyed having a strong father and losing to him. When Manning came home for the week for college finals, you could tell he truly was enjoying the time with his family and especially his father. Growing up Manning always tried to gain the unconditional love of his father and he never seemed to gain it. Manning eventually beats his father in arm wrestling and it is all that he could ask for and more which shows how cheerful he was. â€Å"How could I have learned so quickly how it would feel to have overpowered the arm that had protected me and provided for me all of my life? His arms have always protected me and the family. † Even though Manning felt bad that his father lost, and he won, he was still happy to know that he had finally beaten his father. They both won something with that week of being together. â€Å"I realized then that Dad must have learned something as well, and what he said to me in that last hug was that he loved me. † They were able to breakthrough their physical love and go farther and Manning was happy about it and wanted to remember it for as long as he could. Manning effectively shows a cheerful tone by displaying how the roles changed throughout and the last hug. Sarah Vowell uses compare and contrast throughout her story about her father. In the beginning Vowell sees no similarities between her father and herself. Vowell does a good job comparing herself and relationship with her father because of all her details, even though they were not being compared for similarities and they were being compared for their differences. He is really into guns and is a republican, while she is not into guns and is a democrat. While Vowell and her twin sister were young their father took them to shoot their first gun. Vowell did not like it and was scared to pull the trigger, but her twin sister highly enjoyed it. From the beginning of the story you knew that Vowell and her dad were not close. When Vowell got older she realized she wanted to become a better daughter. â€Å"The older I get the more I’m interested in becoming a better daughter. First on my list: Figure out the whole gun things. † Vowell called her father up and asked to watch him shoot off the canon. Throughout the day with him she realized that they were not as distant as they thought they were. My dad and I are the same person. We’re both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment. † Vowell and her dad were closer than they thought even though they were into different things. If Vowell did not use compare and contrast then her audience would not understand both sides and if we did not understand both sides we could not properly understand the whole background of their relationship and if we did not understand their relationship we could not understand their current relationship and feelings. Vowell’s use of compare and contrast to set up her narration was overall effective. Sarah Vowell’s story Shooting Dad has a disagreeing tone throughout the story even though at the end, she goes along with what he asks. Vowell and her father did not get along or have any of the same interests of beliefs as each other whole she was growing up. â€Å"You wouldn’t have needed to come inside to see that is was a house divided. † Vowell did not agree with guns because she was a democrat but her father did since he was not. Vowell does not seem happy or okay with the gun situation from right off the bat. It is easy to see that there is going to be conflict over the guns and that Vowell does not agree with them. â€Å"‘Why, shooting crows is a national pastime, like baseball and apple pie. ’ Personally I preferred baseball and apple pie. † Vowell and her dad disagree and have different opinions on many different things. Vowell effectively uses this t one throughout the whole story with many side remarks and comments about her dad and their differences. It makes you feel like you are actually in the divided house and you can feel the tension build up as she grows up in the house. When she gets older, she still disagrees with the guns things, but she puts that thought asides to be a better daughter. Even though Vowell still disagrees with guns and doing it just for fun, she is able to see that if he is into it she will go along with it. Vowell effectively uses the disagreeing tone throughout the narration.