“Shooting Dad” Dialogue
I really liked this story. It shows how differences in a family, large or small, make for interesting telling. Sarah tells the story of how she was different than her twin sister and her dad. She took a stand against guns, something that shaped her fathers life. After years of disagreeing with her father about guns Sarah decides to try and understand her father and his love of guns. What she finds is that they are not so different after all. The thing that brought her to this realization was the cannon her father built. After two years, when it was finished, she decided to go home and be with her father when he shot it off. After the experience Sarah comes to the realization that, "Oh. My. God. My dad and I are the same person. We’re both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment.” Although she does not change her mind about guns, well maybe the cannon, Sarah has a new appreciation for her dad and the things he creates.
The significance of the title “Shooting Dad” comes at the end of the story when Sarah’s dad tells her that when he dies he wants his ashes shot out of the cannon on the opening day of hunting season. Sarah with her new found understanding agrees to do so.
Hi Bettejo,
ReplyDeleteI too really liked this story and basically got the same understanding from it that u did. I like the idea that in the end she realized that she and her dad were not so different from each other after all. And it took that trip to the mountains for her to appreciate it. Thanks for the read.
Hi Bettejo,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the story, but wasn't to crazy about the title. The title seems violent to me. I lived around guns all my life through my dad and I was like Sarah, I did not understand them, did not like them. My dad is everything to me, a wonderful human being, but I can't get into the gun hobby. I htought your writing was very good. Should we put the page number after a quote? Barb
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog and thought your prespective on the story was really good. I too liked how the writer discovered she and her dad weren't that different.
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that Sarah just realized how alike the two of them were during the cannon shooting when there were so many references to their similarities throughout the story. I suppose it's because she wrote the story after that realization and then she thought back to other similarities. The title was interesting and I never would have considered the actual meaning behind it!
Deborah
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, I realized that Sarah probably would not have agreed to fulfill her father's wishes had she not had this experience and epiphany about she and her dad. I imagine she would have thought it was crazy to shot him out of the canon.
Your post highlights the importance of being willing to understand her father's passion and not just immediately discount it.
Thanks for your insights!
Lauren
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI was not sure if you were resighting a quote or writing about the title of the story? You have both in there. I really enjoyed reading your post though. I really liked how you said families have differences no matter how big or small.
Hey BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this story to. I think it is one of the best ones we have had this semester so far. I also love the title. When you first read it you think that it is going to be about something completely different that what it is really about. I Loved it.
Sabrina