The Same River Twice by Chris Offutt

“The Everglades would be my detox center, a monastery.”

                Nature can sometimes be seen as a very calming entity. Chris Offutt, like many other characters in American literature, turns to nature to “detox” his life. He sees nature as a simplistic life style, not affected by the products and technologies used in daily life. He thinks that by surrounding himself with nature, he will rid his life of his many troubles. However, if he were to return to his home town and live with his family, he would also be returning to nature.

“it occurs to me that fathers always seem to be of a different species”

                As Chris Offutt imagines the relationship between his unborn son and himself, he imagines the normal relationship between a father and a son. Sons never understand their fathers and fathers never really understand their sons. For any child, they are confused by the actions the parents take in raising them. Some fathers, like that of Chris Offutt, act as the head of the household. They are seen as superiors, but superiors in the sense of a different species.

“Paternal terror was simply ignorance.”

                New fathers are almost always nervous before their child is born. They are concerned and worried as to whether or not they are capable of raising another human being. Am I even capable of raising myself? Time after time, once the new father holds his child, everything falls into place. The father learns along the way just like any other parent does. The second Chris Offutt holds his newborn child, his fears wash away and he knows he will be able to raise this child and learn from his mistakes.

ineluctably: incapable of being evaded (The Same River Twice, 154)

lingam: the masculine gender (The Same River Twice, 155) 

manchineel: a tropical American tree having a poisonous sap (The Same River Twice, 156) 

petered: to diminish gradually and stop (The Same River Twice, 164) 

tectonic: of or pertaining to building or construction (The Same River Twice, 166)