When I first heard this title I thought the essay would be a lot of car jargon. But Simmons surprised me by presenting an understandable and well-themed essay. The theme of a difficult father-son relationship that only grows through a similar hobby focuses the essay and prepares the reader for the ending. As Simmons grew up, he lost interest in battling with his father for attention through his bike, and instead found other hobbies and interests. The loss is felt through Simmon’s tone, where he admits to his ignorance of the separation and presents this separation poetically through a metaphor. A lost interest always causes emotional pain when another person is tied to that interest. Sometimes, it’s only a friend, other times a best friend, and even other times a loved one. Simmons’ essay is strong in portraying the focus on the motorcycle and on the loss, but his father never truly becomes a main character in the story. Readers understand that his father does not display emotion easily, but Simmons tells readers this more than he shows them. “Motorcycle Talk” encompasses fluidity, but the story ends before I can realize what happened.
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