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The arm wrestling match was a representation of their relationship. As the son grew older, he got stronger and challenged his father more, once he entered college, he finally beat his father. The match shows how as the son grew up, he gained independence and was becoming his own man: "I might have preferred him to be always the stronger, the one who carries me. But this
wish is impossible now; our roles have begun to switch" (Manning). The different matches are an analogy for the different "phases" in the relationship between Manning and his father, with their relationship finally ending with a role reversal as exhibited through the final arm wrestling match.

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Brad Manning, a Harvard graduate and writer wrote the essay for his freshman English class.

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Through Manning's freshmen composition course, Manning is able to explicate his personal feelings about his relationship with his father; further, he takes it a step further to apply his experiences with the overall father-son relationship. This piece enables Manning to display his emotions. When given the prompt, the author was likely reminded of his, possibly odd, relationship with his father.

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The author reflects upon his time as a college student and a young child. He focuses on his relationship with his father and perceived struggles interacting with him.

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Although the author wrote this piece for his English class, the intended audience seems to be himself. This is because he reminisces and analyzes his relationship with his father. By writing the essay, the author is able to tell himself that he is content with his relationship with his father. The audience could also include other sons who may have a complicated relationship with their father.

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Manning's message seems to revolve around the idea that parents have different ways to express their love and each relationship is different; however, it is not impossible to reach a common understanding and overcome an impasse with your parent(s).

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Manning writes this to convey his relationship with his parents and demonstrate how his relationship with them has changed over the years.

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The tone portrayed in Manning's memoir comes across as reminiscent or even reflective of the author's relationship with his mother. The author fondly recalls his time with his father and their relationship's growth. Manning reflects on the roles both he and his father have taken on in this relationship and what that means to both of them, especially as it begins to change: "How could I have learned so quickly how it would feel to have overpowered the arm
that had protected and provided for me all of my life?" (Manning). Throughout the piece, Manning adds in pieces of his true thoughts on the father-son relationship, which constitutes as reflective.

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"It was like the thrill I had once experienced...." (Manning 149).
Essentially, the entire piece is a flashback; however, Manning also employs a flashback within a flashback. He talks about fishing in Louisiana as a young boy and compares the experience with arm wrestling. Manning does so to describe the "catch and go" situation with his father and his prospects of finally winning a match with his father. The flashback's use pairs well with the reminiscent tone portrayed in the memoir as Manning reflects on his relationship with his father. The smaller flashbacks in the overarching flashback function together to piece together Manning's complex relationship with his father, the changes that come along the way with this relationship, and the different lessons learned throughout (the fishing memoir provides a lesson that Manning applies to his relationship with his father).

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In the memoir, Manning compares his arm wrestling match to his fishing experience using a simile: "Arm wrestling my father was now like this, like hooking "Big Joe," the old fish... when you finally think you’ve got him, you want to let him
..." (Manning). Manning uses this simile to discuss the intricacies that make up his relationship with his father. Manning starts to understand that the relationship dynamic is beginning to change with his father growing older and, subsequently, weaker; however, he understands that he can not do anything about that. He, too, wants to release his father like Big Joe and allow him to win but, due to the change in relationship dynamics, that will constitute as impossible.

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Throughout the piece, Manning repeatedly states the phrase "Now you say when." He first writes it at the beginning of his memoir to illustrate the winning pattern Manning's father had; this memory helps set up their relationship for the rest of the memoir. Additionally, Manning also continues to write "Say when" to show how frequently Manning and his father arm wrestled, and all matches ended with his father winning. However, toward the end, Manning employs "You say when" one more time, but in relation to the shift in his relationship with his father -- Manning wins this round. Each time Manning writes "You say when" he draws a parallel between the changes in the father-son relationship and even personal growth through the past arm wrestling matches.

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The bulk of Manning's memoir is recounting the odd relationship that he has with his father, and the different way they convey love to one another -- through the arm wrestling. However, the tone shifts to a more hopeful one in the last paragraph where Manning conveys his desire for his father to keep in touch with him and interact with him in a more "normal" fashion: "Maybe this spring, when he sees his first crew match, he’ll advise me on how to improve
my stroke" (Manning). The last paragraph is littered with the word "maybe" to show Manning's desire for these possibilities to come through; however, he concedes to their abnormal way of showing love in the last sentence when he says that maybe his father will just send him a card. Either way, after the last arm wrestling match, Manning's tone switches to one that is more hopeful due to the pivot in his relationship with his father.

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The paragraph that begins with "I might have preferred him to be always the stronger..." effectively conveys Manning's deep emotions about his father. It demonstrates that Manning's and his father's roles switch as time passes: "our roles have begun to switch." Manning realizes that as his father and him get older, he has to take more responsibility and be the stronger one in the household. Furthermore, this passage also portrays Manning's insight and vision for the future that frightens him and induces him to care and love his father in an unprecedented manner.