Arm wrestling with my Father by Brad Manning - Book Report/Review Example

Arm wrestling with My Father-a critical analysis In his descriptive essay, “ Arm wrestling with my Father”, Brad Manning brings out the difficult relationship between a stoic father and his young son, where he tries to portray the bond between an undemonstrative father and his son.. .He begins his essay with an arm wrestling match between the father and the son, which leaves the son ,”too bitter to smile” (Manning) The words express the uneasy relationship between the son and the father.

The relationship between an undemonstrative father and his son is difficult and fraught with a sense of conflict . A bonding between the two, which is crucial to the emotional growth of the boy, can be strengthened through physical activity such as play .This is brought out in the essay “Arm wrestling with my Father.” by Brad Manning. The initial match between the father and the son serves two purposes: it shows the resentment the son feels, emphasizing the uncomfortable relationship between the two men, and it also catches the reader’s attention and whets his curiosity to read further.

The strong, stolid father never shows his love towards his offspring overtly. The only periods of communication he has with his son are when he has the arm wrestling contests ,. Manning has tried to show the competition between the father and the son, where the father is always the winner, but at the same time , there is an undercurrent of affection between the two. Thus, while Manning begins his story with a match that leaves him” too bitter to smile”,(Manning, Brad), his narration of the earlier contests of arm wrestling give the reader a subtle portrayal of the special feeling between the two.. He effectively uses a spatial pattern of narrative to carry the story forward, when he goes back in time and describes earlier bouts of arm wrestling between son and father.

The rough ritual of the matches between the strong father and the stripling son is vividly brought out in the story. The character of the father as a reticent man is nicely portrayed. The pride and affection the author feels towards the older man is also well brought out in this story. Manning refers to his father frequently as “the arm”, or as “the master with clenched fists”,(Manning) showing his admiration for him. Using an informal diction, the writer has made the characters come alive.

Although a serious narrative, the imagery used is emotionally evocative. The imagery of the matches between the father and the son wrestling “arm against arm”,(Manning) evokes a feeling of warmth. .The structural organization of the essay is such that the essay moves smoothly forward .Each episode is relevant and the whole story brings out the theme of father-son relationship brilliantly. The central conflict in “Arm wrestling with my father” is the troubled relationship between the father and the son.

Manning says somewhere, ”The man would win” This statement though seemingly cold, shows his secret admiration for the father who always bests him. “Arm wrestling with my Father” is a thought provoking essay which makes the reader realize that the physical interaction between father and son through play is conducive to strengthening of the bond between the two, which , in turn , is important for the emotional growth of the son.Works cited:Manning, Brad.” Arm wrestling with My Father”.

Bedford Reader ninth edition Ed . X .J. Kennedy, Dorothy M .Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron