Week 8; Essay 2 Dialogue, "Common themes"

“Shooting Dad” and “Coming Home Again” have a common theme; however there are comparisons and contrasts to both essays. Family, culture, parent- child dynamics, adolescence, Identity, independence and love are some of the same themes that run through these essays. Both of these families are living in America, however one family has immigrated here from Korea and the other are born in America. “Coming home Again” is a story about a connection of a son, (Chang-Rae-Lee) and his mother and “Shooting Dad is a story of connection of a daughter, (Sarah Vowell) and her father.
Sarah Vowell gives the reader a vivid account of a typical day in her family life with humor and tells the reader of strong opinions that family members have. Chang-Rae-Lee sets a different scene and the reader can tell very soon that it is going to be an emotional account of his mother’s illness. The comparisons of the family unit, Sarah’s, and Chang’s Identity, bonding, and similarities to parents charge through both essays. The differences of the two are very clear also; how the family unit expresses themselves, their different cultures, and home life. In the end both authors find that they are more like their parents then they realized and look back with fond memories and love.
Both essays reminded me of my own mother and father. They are aging now and I am reminded that they will not be here much longer. My dad and I had a very close relationship growing up and we always talked, my mother, not so much. My dad’s memory is slipping and it pains me to think one day he might not remember me. I take everyday as a gift and I think both of the characters in these writings did the same. To Sarah, it was the memory of going with her dad to shoot the cannon. To Chang, it was cooking with his mother as a young child. These were defining moments in their lives even though at the time they did not know it.