Analysis Of Scott Russell Sanders Story 'Under The Influence'

Scott Russell Sanders story known as “Under the Influence” is a story based off of Scott’s childhood growing up with his alcoholic father who is constantly drinking but in “secret”.
The story starts of with Scott explaining the amount of alcohol his father consumes with the quote “My father drank. He drank as a gut-punched boxer gasps for breath, as a starving dog gobbles food-compulsively, secretly, in pain and trembling”. Remembering his father’s alcoholic tendencies this quote is used as the introduction all the while putting an almost crystal clear image to be formed in the readers mind of a man in patchy clothes, stumbling towards a bottle of liquor, trying to pretend he is only walking around rather than drinking. Ashamed of his father addiction Scott and his siblings try to …show more content…
Reading Scott Russell Sanders story “Under the Influence” is not only a very inspiring story, but also a inside experience of what its like with a father who is an alcoholic. Scott described his story to the point where it made the readers feel they are Scott as he deals with his father. Towards the end of the story Scott mentions how he was the rock holding the family up trying to hold their families pride together himself all the while staying away from drinking to avoid his fathers shoes.
So what is it like growing up with a father that drink’s his soul away like a man trying to get that jackpot… even if it means his families savings. It would be traumatizing at the very least. Having to grow up embarrassed to even talk about their father in fear of people finding out his problem, or knowing that counting on or relying on their parent for advice or help would be useless since the drink has devoured their mind. “Under the influence” is the story that describes this