Family

                        It is quite evident throughout Take the Cannoli that Sarah Vowell does not have the greatest relationship with her father and twin sister. The first story, as I said in my previous post is about Vowell’s father and how different his beliefs were from her own. She resented him for being different, and didn’t really take the time to understand him. She painted him out to be a powerful man, sharing the stories of his love of American culture. Vowell’s twin sister unlike her had a lot in common with their father. They went hunting together, and enjoyed shooting in the back yard. There was a great deal of separation in her household that she desperately wanted to change. She felt neglected as a daughter, and she felt disrespected.

                        Vowell and I have a lot in common in the sense that I too, do not have the best relationship with my father. Growing up, I found myself doing everything he wanted me to do because I wanted him to be proud of me. He always wanted me to play basketball or tennis, and even take fencing classes. I didn’t have a problem doing it, but I knew that it was only going to please him for so long since I was entering high school. When I told him I wanted to begin performing again, he continually put me down. In a way, my father was a lot like Vowell. He did not accept me because he didn’t believe in the same things I did, or liked. When he finally realized it was my passion he began to come to my shows to show support. The fact that Vowell joined her father in his favorite past time of shooting guns, showed that she truly did care about forming a better relationship.  My younger sister, Leila, is the favored child. She adores my father, and he adores her. This relates to Vowell’s twin sister and their father, her being the prized daughter. At a certain point I have grown to be okay with the fact that my father and I don’t see eye to eye and I learned to accept it. My brother on the other hand is the black sheep of the family. My father puts a lot of pressure on him to be the best he can be at anything. At a certain point he became overwhelmed and it took a toll on his grades and he began to receive a lot of harsh criticism from my father.

As I move a long in the book, I am informed that she becomes closer to her father and sister. There is always a certain time in your life where you feel alone and isolated, a lot of those feelings having to do with your family. I think it’s important to know that family is always going to be there, not matter what. It is always said that friends come and go, and it is certainly true. Vowell has an open mind, which is what I love about her. She isn’t afraid to try new things, and she certainly is not afraid to express her emotions to her family.