A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best friends because they share good communication. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship. In comparing and contrasting the two essays "Arm Wrestling with my Father" and "Shooting Dad" each have a lot in common, communicate through actions, and gain understanding for one another. .
First, by comparing the two essays they have a lot in common, like each essay is about a child and their relationship with their father. However, they differ because Manning's essay is about a relationship between father and son, and Vowell's is about the relationship between father and daughter. In each essay the main child focused upon gives notion to a sibling in the story whether, it be a sister or a brother. .
In "Arm Wrestling with My Father" the son talks about his brother joining in on the fight to beat dad, however he still never succeeded. In comparison, "Shooting Dad" the daughter mention her twin sister to compare how her sister shares more in common with her dad at first than she does. But over time both main characters come to get a better understanding for their father and how they express their love. .
Second, both essay shows that these fathers communicated with their kids through action. Like "Arm Wrestling with My Father", his father shows communication through physical play, instead of verbal communication. Also in "Shooting Dad" conversation between this Vowell and her father were incapable because they would start to argue. In paragraph 6 she speaks about her father and how they differed, "All he ever cared about were guns. All I ever cared about was art.