Analysis Of Sarah Vowell's Shooting Dad

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Interesting relationships between parents and children are common in society today and Sarah Vowell wrote “Shooting Dad” to demonstrate her relationship with her father. The writing techniques that are easily found in this would be, comparing and contrasting, humor, and cause and effect. In her writing Vowell uses comparing and contrasting to show the differences and commons between her father and herself, humor to show the details of the relationship and cause and effect to demonstrate how the relationship developed into what it is now. When jumping right into this essay the relationship is stated as being between father and daughter or Democrat and Republican but never states who is what class, this is leading to the first comparing …show more content…

The entire essay is cause and effect, from a little girl being made to shoot a gun and becoming afraid of them to a adult who enjoys loud music and learning she enjoys the noise of a cannon going off. After Vowell (2000) first shot the gun she remembers saying, “Satan, I rebuke thee” (p.174). This is a statement showing that the gun was a terrible thing and it reminded her of the work of the devil itself. The effects of stating the fear led to the lifelong want to stay away from guns and creating a barrier in the father and daughter relationship. Another point that holds great detail in a short amount of time was when the two shared the joy of firing the homemade cannon off into a hillside. By doing this, the two created a bond that led to Vowell promising to blow her dad into the earth. “I will plunge his remains into the barrel and point it into a hill so he doesn't take anyone with him. I will light the fuse. But I will not cover my ears. Because when I blow what used to be my dad into the earth, I want it to hurt” (Vowell, 2000, p.177). This is showing by sharing one thing with her father a life long bond, to be held up till the end of at least his life, was created by a simple

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