Yujing LiuProfessor Melissa PooleEnglish 11118 January 2018Relation between Father and SonThe essay "Arm Wrestling with my Father" by Brad Manning explores a complicatedrelationship between father and son based on power hierarchy. I believe that the essay canstrike a chord with readers of any age, as far as the target readers are concerned. I base mybelief on the composition of the essay that explores power dynamics between a vulnerableson and an over powering father.This essay can interest readers of varying age andinclinations because, written in first person narrative, it talks about patriarchal dominance andexpectations.The readers can come across a plethora of themes like how within the internalperiphery, the child is assaulted by patriarchal norms and practices, "He would see mydowncast eyes, my reddened, sweating face..."(Manning 121). Therefore, the readers canquickly identify what the writer is trying to mean through the narration of his personalexperiences using the form of an essay. Brad Manning has ventured into the theme of parentaldominance making use of imagery, symbols and the archetype of arm wrestling to denote theinner weaknesses of an alienated child “I never thought it was funny at all...”Anothermeaningful interpretation or message that can one can derive from the essay is the sadisticsatisfaction that the father used to attain by flaunting his authority and male dominance. This
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