I'm Just Getting to the Disturbing Part

The piece I chose to discuss is "I'm Just Getting to the Disturbing Part," by Steven Church. Possibly my favorite technique in this piece is how Church uses all points of time, to explain his story, without confusing the reader. He uses phrases such as "at this point in my story," clearly discussing the present, "let me tell you what I don't know at this point in my story," discussing the future, "here is what I haven't told you up to this point in my story," the past. I find this method to be effective as well as artistic. It isn't harsh or unattractive to the reader but instead a smooth transition.
The author also holds the audience’s attention throughout the entire piece giving us new information about the speaker’s life that is relevant to the storyline. Eventually all pieces of the story come together forming the relationship that the speaker has with his fear of water. From the death of his brother, to the event at the lake, and, finally, to his son, the speaker’s new fear is a stitched creation of all the parts of his life.
The author also dabbles with extremes. In the beginning we are introduced to a problem. Heat. This condition makes the speaker and his companions uncomfortable and causes them to seek a solution. At first we think that heat is the problem that these friends must overcome. Later we realize that water, synonymous with refreshment, cleansing, and cool, is actually a more dangerous alternative. Though heat is uncomfortable, the refreshing lake has brought a situation of mortality to these characters that wasn’t present when they were simply sweating in a Barbie pool. In addition, with this new situation of mortality is causes the speaker to not just reconnect with the death of his brother but to also almost relive it in an attempt to save him, or even to just be reunited. In an act of heroism to save a teenage boy the main character is now confronted with a fear about his own mortality and relationship with his dead brother. An overwhelming urge to reestablish a connection even at the price of his life.

Samantha Audet