The Loneliest Twin in History?

          It is commonly thought that identical twins share the same personalities and preferences in addition to their exterior appearances.  However, due to epigenetic inheritance--genetic makeup regardless of chromosome content-- and surrounding environments, identical siblings can develop their distinct traits and styles.

          This is definitely true of Sarah Vowell and her twin sister, Amy Vowell, who display vastly different personalitites in the former's piece "Shooting Dad". In the essay, Sarah Vowell communicates her disgust of guns and her father's love of them. This proves highly irregular, as her father has crafted weapons her whole life, and her twin sister adores the family tradition of learning about gun use and warfare.

          When Sarah recounts first shooting a gun, she remembers "the sound it made was as big as God...like a foe; it hurt" (Paragraph 11, 4-5). Interestingly enough, when Sarah matures and attempts to understand her father's joy in guns, she admits feeling "giddiness when the cannon shot off" (Paragraph 24, 1-2). Therefore, it is shown that the narrator doesn't despise weapons as much as she thought. She defines herself as an artist, a music enthusiast, which allows her to finally appreciate the deafening sound produced from the release of a trigger.

          The final impression of Sarah Vowell leaves the reader thinking she is very similar to her father and her sister. In this way, Amy Vowell --portrayed as the "loneliest twin in history"--only had to suffer from this paradoxical affliction until her sister was ready to accept the glory of firing guns. Perhaps identical twins who possess different characteristics are more alike than even they themselves deem; it takes time for separate individuals to acquire similar interests and passions.

The Power of Arms

          In Manning's piece "Arm Wrestling With My Father", the author uses the father's arm to represent strength and nurture passed down to him. The continuous use of synecdoche and symbolism defines Manning's father as a powerful force that teaches Manning mental confidence and parental responsibility. The formidable arm portrayed in the essay evokes both a sense of bitterness and love in Manning, who regards his father as someone who can only communicate  effectively through his body.
          Manning's father is not the only person whose arms manifest hope and strength. Earlier, we read about Joe Louis, an African American boxer. In Maya Angelous's recollection, she reminisces about her friends and family's pride in the athlete's physical abilities. For other African Americans of the time, Joe Louis's strong arms promoted salvation; an end to racial discrimination. In fact, in Detroit, there is a statue of Joe Louis's arm caught mid-punch. This demonstrates that it is common for people to remember admirable figures by their dedication and raw power.
          Therefore, arms are common symbols for memories of intensity. The piece "Arm Wrestling With My Father" recounts Manning's feelings towards his father's efforts of love. Also, the way the author associates his father's arms with the actual person relates to the historical trend--like with Joe Louis--of affiliating power to a part of person, as opposed to his or her entire being.

Paradoxical Situations

          This week we wrote an essay based on Nancy Mairs's piece on the word 'cripple' and how it applies to disabled people. Throughout the passage, she asserts her annoyance of how disabled people are perceived as weak and pitiful by society. Mairs establishes herself as a dignified woman with multiple sclerosis who is able to maintain pride with herself, condition and all.
          Certainly, it is always difficult to know how to act around people  afflicted with disabilities. Being overly solicitous comes off as condescending and irritating to the person affected. On the same token, attempting to interact normally with someone disabled ignores any special attention he or she is accustomed to. Therefore, it is highly possible that if people paid no attention to Mairs and treated her as normal, she would still be affronted by the lack of respect shown.

          This sort of paradox is also displayed in Annie Dillard's "The Chase". Dillard begins the narrative by describing her joy in throwing snowballs at oncoming cars. When a man from one of the cars gets out, he chases Dillard and her friend across dozens of snowy backyards. During the chase, the man is temporarily converted to a childlike figure willing to play with the others. When he finally captures the kids in order to scold them, Dillard recounts being let down that he reverts to his typical adult self. However, if the man had really been a child with no intention of punishment, there would have been nothing extraordinary about the journey across the neighborhood. In this way, whether or not the man acts his age is a source of disappointment to Dillard who reveres this lively adult as a miracle.

What Is Wrong With My Writing and What I Intend To Do About It

          This week we took a practice grammar test to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses in identifying mistakes of proper English language. I discovered that my main problems lie in sentence structure and redundancy. I discovered that my main problems lie in sentence structure and redundancy. Interestingly enough, I struggle with the same types of issues in my essays and timed writing assignments. Instead of just vowing to work harder, I wanted to understand why this happens. The answer is obvious: we speak a language that deviates widely from standard English and when talking, it is encouraged to repeat oneself several times to emphatically convey a point. That's why I am from now on going to try to refine my speech and writing so that it maintains clarity and form.

Furthermore, writing is very subjective. It is pretty much impossible to reach a point at which there is no room for improvement. I used to hate this about writing, but I now know that it is a blessing.  There is no formula for success, but neither is there method for failure. I have learned that simply having the ability to write cohesively gives one an advantage not only in school, but also in today's world.