How We Wrestle Who We Are Brian Doyle

“How We Wrestle who we are” by Brian Doyle is a vivid short essay about the trials of his son’s heat condition. In the essay Doyle discusses the physical and mental damage not only done too his son but the pain Doyle was left to deal with during the time of destruction. In my essay I will discuss how Doyle’s essay is his indirect interpretation of the heart, how he physically writes about the heart and how he writes so that the story will remind you of a heart.
When hearing the word heart one thinks about love. Even though the heart does not control emotions, we are programed to believe that our feelings come from our heart. It’s kind of ironic how Doyle portrays this concept in his essay. Asking himself rhymithical questions such as “will I still love him?” “What if I couldn’t love him?” and “what if he was so damaged I prayed for him to die?” (Doyle). All are normal questions asked when a love one is faced with a harsh or difficult medical condition. There is no difference in Doyle’s situation. He asks these to put emphasis on how heart he was just how badly he loved his son. His love for his son will never go away but he is going through time of disperse. He is physically writing about his pain with his heat, but he also portrays it in his style of writing.

This essay is written in a rhythmic patter.

Starting off slowly, as if the heart is at a normal rate. Speeding up gradually towards the middle of the essay as if he is nervous about his son, weather he will make it or not or what happen if he ca not make it. The last paragraph is Witten in such way that it makes you want to speed up using repetition of the word “if ” then ending with the question “what the?”(Doyle) as if his son’s heart had stopped

beating.
Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter or sound. Doyle uses this a lot in his essay he says thing like “Hospital and house and hills” (Doyle). Also with the repetition of the “w” sound. The use of alliteration is also giving the illation of speed. As if the essay is speeding up to say his son’s heart beat is getting faster.
Doyle has a diverse style of writing in this essay he put a great deal of thought into this essay. All leading back to the topic of his son’s heart problem. It was written in such way that leaves you wanting more. Kind of like when someone is connected to a heart monitor it speeds up faster and faster and when there is no longer a heartbeat there is a flat line. They are final gone and there story is over.